Raleigh Sets the Stage, Paramore comes out swinging

Fans start crowding into the Downtown (not-Bud Light) Raleigh Amphitheater
photo by Flying Rooster

It’s a bold move for Paramore to tout “We have the best show running this summer”, especially on opening day of the tour. But with bands like Tegan and Sara, New Found Glory and Kadawatha backing them, they may just be right. The 2010 Honda Civic Tour is a perfect mix of music, technology and advertising. Take a look around the mini-festival and you’ll see “Meet and Greet” stations, oversized video screens displaying text messages from the audience and you can even get yourself a Paramount faux tattoo. Honda showcased their “Paramore themed” 2010 Civic Si Coupe and PCX Scooter in light of the “green” atmosphere the tour is promoting.

Kadawatha kicked off the more than humid evening with their melodic punk music for the eager crowd. Despite a few audio difficulties, the Swedish band held strong, playing their first ever show in the US.

I’ll be honest, being a New Found Glory fan, I went to this show to see what they would specifically bring to the tour. Having headlined the Honda Civic tour in years past, they we’re overwhelmingly welcomed back by this year’s crowd. This was a bit perplexing, as a band formed in 1997 played to a crowd who appeared to be born post ‘97, but nonetheless a warm reception. NFG opened up with their latest hit “Truck Stop Blues” from Not Without a Fight (2009) which warmed the crowd up as the band dug deep into their repertoire and played a set list consisting heavily of songs from Sticks and Stones (2002) and Catalyst (2004) such as “Understatement” and “Failure’s Not Flattering”.

Despite my thinking NFG should have been given the latter spot in the four band lineup, it was clear why they weren’t placed there. Tegan and Sara, the Canadian twin duo, had the crowd hanging onto every heartfelt lyric. Both women seemingly switched instruments every other song, showcasing that they are more versatile than simply guitar. They brought with them a full backing band to fill out their recent migration to electronic pop/punk music, as well as a full setlist including “Alligator” from Sainthood (2009) and an acoustic version of “Back in Your Head” from The Con (2007).

The entire evening was taken to a new level, as obvious anticipation for Paramore grew. The show began behind an enormous black curtain that dropped to the ground and opened the flood gates. What we found behind the curtain was a precision assault of flipping guitarists and blistering drums all fronted by a fireball package of energy named Hayley Williams. Don’t blink yet! It was easy to lose sight of the five piece band, who were in constant motion and backed by a jumbo screen displaying animations of the word “RIOT”. Hayley seemed to be one with the audience, connecting with and encouraging them at every opportunity she could find. No chance of the crowd overpowering the riffs and vocals from Paramore though, this ain’t your grandma’s rock show, and it’s gonna be loud (take note Koka Booth).

Paramore showed the crowd they were more than just distortion and volume, as they brought out an entire living room set that included a full size couch and lamps for an intimate acoustic set. The band was into it as much as the crowd was. Hayley proclaims “So much has gone into planning this tour, it has become our baby. Thanks for making this a great opening night”  Even Raleigh’s own “Brewery” on Hillsborough Street got a shout out from the native Tennessee band. The evening’s hat was tipped as Paramore ended its final encore with “Brick by Boring Brick” only to find a train rolling past the stage in the immediate background which was accompanied by a roaring crowd to send the band off.

Best running tour of the summer? I bet you’ll find about 5000 people in Raleigh who would agree with that.

Paramore Set List

Misery Business
Born For This
Ignorance
Feeling Sorry
That’s What You Get
Crushcrushcrush
Pressure
Careful
The Only Exception
When It Rains
Where The Lines Overlap
Misguided Ghosts
Decode
Looking Up
My Heart

Encore:
Let the Flames Begin
Brick by Boring Brick

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Music , Other posts by Adam.

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Downtown Raleigh Amphitheater Paramore

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