All Time Low returns to the Philippines!

For the first time in five years, Baltimore pop-punk legends, All Time Low, returned to the Manila stage on August 15 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. Presented by PULP Live World, All Time Low Live in Manila was a showcase of the band’s remarkable legacy.

Without realizing they were onto something big, All Time Low started as a high school band in 2003. In less than two years after their formation, the band went from covering the music of punk bands like Blink-182 to signing with Emerald Moon Records. They now have more than 3.3 million fans on Facebook and have headlined music festivals around the world.

Yet, All Time Low is definitely not your average rock band. It’s unusual for bands to maintain their original lineup for this long, especially without introducing new members, but they managed to do it for 18 years — and Monday night’s happenings were a testament to why All Time Low remains a solid figure in the music scene.

Before All Time Low took over the stage, headbanging and bouncing got the night’s festivities started when Chicosci took the stage with a short 30-minute set. They were the perfect band to get the audience in the mood as they screamed and jumped all over the stage and played their hits for the audience such as “Paris”, “A Promise”, “Social Club”, and “Rasberry”, before ending their set with “Diamond Shotgun”.

Following the hyped-up opening set of Chicosci and with lights dimmed, All Time Low took the stage — and I knew, from that very moment, that I was in for one of the best concerts I’d ever seen. The Baltimore boys started the party with their opening song, “Lost in Stereo” with strings of confetti ribbons thrown into the air which immediately got the audience dancing to the upbeat music they played. I could feel the energy and bass bouncing off the walls and through your bones, thanks to the band’s chemistry and the hilarious remarks throughout the show.

The opening song was immediately followed by a track from the Last Young Renegade album, called “Dark Side of Your Room”. The band also touched on new songs such as “Sleeping In” and “Some Kind of Disaster” from their eighth studio album, Wake Up Sunshine.

“This is fucking incredible. My mind is blown right now. There are so many of you and you’re singing so loud,” frontman Alex Gaskarth said before performing “Missing You”. The lyrics of the song resonated with a wonderful message as it speaks of the futility of trying to fight an addiction to drugs, depression, or anything else fatal. They are “missing out” because they are isolated from the world and, in most cases, succumb to their addiction. The song is an encouragement to reclaim one’s life from such vices, and it promises that a friend will be there to provide a hand if one needs it. “Missing You” is no doubt the most meaningful song by All Time Low.

All Time Low kept saying how much fun they were having and how the Manila crowd was one of their favorite audiences and a notable change from their usual shows. It’s cliche to say as bands have a bad habit of overusing the phrase, but it sounded so sincere when they said it. They didn’t engage in the usual obscene, gimmicky banter between songs, but instead repeatedly expressed their gratitude to the audience for coming out to see them.

They returned for an encore performance of three songs. The encore began with “PMA”, followed by “Therapy”, the most requested song of the night. Prior to playing “Therapy”, they requested the support of the audience as they sang the song. It was one of the biggest moments of the entire show, probably because I could feel the audience’s feelings as they sang to it. Cannons fired off bursts of confetti as they closed the show with their signature hit, “Dear Maria, Count Me In”.

Even though they’re on the road to promoting their latest album, Wake Up Sunshine, the band’s repertoire featured songs from all of their albums — pleasing both longtime fans and newcomers.

Pop-punk fans were not disappointed by Monday night’s performance and the crowd left with a clear understanding of why they’ve been around for so long.

Special thanks to PULP Live World.

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All Time Low Live in Manila 2022 Setlist

Lost in Stereo
Dark Side of Your Room
Sleeping In
Some Kind of Disaster
Weightless
Once in a Lifetime
Backseat Serenade
Life of the Party
Dirty Laundry
Missing You
Good Times
Something’s Gotta Give
Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don’t)
Blinding Lights (The Weeknd cover)
Monsters

Encore:
PMA
Therapy
Dear Maria, Count Me In

Words by: Vince Bernardo

Photos by: Glenn Tan