Photography by: Jeff Hurd
There are few bands who can turn a mid-size venue into a collective, cathartic explosion quite like All Time Low. Selling out Toronto’s Drake-backed History, the band doesn’t just play a show; they host a family reunion for the pop-punk faithful, proving that two decades into their career, they are still operating at their absolute peak—no lows, all highs.
The evening is a perfect cross-section of the genre’s past and present. With their Canadian debut, emerging artists The Paradox deliver a raw, promising set that feels like the future of pop-punk bleeding through. From the moment they hit the stage, their performance is a visceral, kinetic blur. The stage is less a platform and more a pinball machine, with the band ricocheting off each other and the monitors.
Their set is a dizzying whirlwind of crowd banter, internal band jokes, and pure, unfiltered punk athleticism that leaves the audience trying to track four moving targets at once. Definitely a set for the History books – pun intended.
Four Year Strong takes the stage second, marking a powerful return to the area since their memorable set at the All Your Friends Festival. They burst onto the platform heavier and swinging, immediately exerting total control over the venue and driving the energy level even higher. The band delivers a powerful dose of melodic hardcore, tearing through fan favorites with their signature blend of dual screamed vocals and heavy, anthemic riffs, ensuring no one in the room has a moment to catch their breath.
Their performance is nothing short of incredible, a testament to their enduring power. We are already looking forward to seeing this band only get bigger and better.
Mayday Parade, who always deliver a vintage, emotionally resonant performance, did just that. The band is a welcomed sight, gracing Toronto again only a few short months after their own sold-out show at this very venue in May. Their set, instantly met with the same amazing, nostalgic energy from familiar faces, is a tribute to their own twenty-year legacy. Frontman Derek Sanders’ voice soars, guiding the crowd through tearful singalongs and moments of powerful vulnerability, often punctuated by their signature piano-driven breakdowns.
They provide a grounding reminder of the scene’s emotional core, and are the perfect selection to prepare the audience for the headliners.
When the lights finally drop for All Time Low, the room—which famously has a capacity of 2,500—feels like it contains 25,000 screaming fans. Frontman Alex Gaskarth’s voice is, quite simply, phenomenal; maintaining a studio-like consistency that is rare in the live arena. The band strikes a flawless balance in the setlist, perfectly weaving tracks from their newest album, Everyone’s Talking!, with the tried-and-true pop-punk core songs we all screamed a little too loud in our teen years.
But the real magic of an All Time Low show is the chemistry. Guitarist Jack Barakat and Alex’s chaotic, sarcastic banter between songs provides the signature charm the audience craves, making the massive room feel incredibly intimate. This connection is never clearer than when a tiny fan crowd-surfs his way to the barrier, prompting Alex to briefly pause the show and make sure the young rebel is safely reunited with his mom. The crowd’s devotion is so absolute that, regardless of the song being played, their voices often rival—and sometimes surpass—the volume of the P.A. system. The floor quite literally shakes as the band tears through fan favorites and anthemic classics, proving every track is a communal singalong.
All Time Low is no longer a band riding a wave; they are the wave itself. Their mastery lies not just in their catchy hooks, but in their unwavering ability to forge a genuine, high-octane connection with every person in the room. This is a technically flawless, emotionally overwhelming night that confirms All Time Low’s status as pop-punk royalty.
The real victory tonight isn’t just All Time Low’s sold-out status; it’s the undeniable, shared spirit of this community. As we all show up on a mid-week Wednesday night, screaming along to The Paradox, Four Year Strong, and Mayday Parade, we’re not just watching a concert—we’re tapping back into those core anthems that defined our youth. This entire evening is a powerful reminder that the heart of pop-punk beats strongest when we gather to shout out the feelings we thought we’d left behind, proving that the music, and the memories, never truly fade.
