REVIEW: Waterparks @ Paradise Rock Club 11/29

While the policy of the Paradise Rock Club may be “no stage diving or moshing,” fans attending the Monster Energy Outbreak Tour (or the Made in America Tour) featuring Waterparks largely disregarded those rules.  The show began with the band Sleep On It from Chicago, who came to rock. Their set was incredible; they surely knew how to prepare the crowd for the rest of the night. Their album Overexposed was released recently, and from what they played last night, it is definitely something to check out! Next was Chapel, a duo comprised of a female drummer and a male lead singer, who filled the room with quirky tones and lyrics, bringing a slight pop sound to the lineup.  They recently released an EP titled Sunday Brunch, which could be found at the merch table, alongside t-shirts and other clothing items.  Lead singer of Waterparks Awsten Knight was sporting a long-sleeve Sunday Bruch t-shirt during his set last night, and truthfully it was very stylish.  And finally, the last opening act was As It Is from Brighton, England. Lead singer Patty Walters, who appeared on stage during Sleep On It’s set to lend his voice to their song “Fireworks” (which originally features Derek DiScanio from State Champs), was incredibly vivacious and a joy to watch.  He was all over the stage, jumping around, and throwing the microphone like a yo-yo, never failing to catch it. Selected by the Waterparks boys themselves, these three opening acts were an energetic, wonderful kick-off before the headliners took the stage.

The night flew by, with people going overhead, managing to make their way toward the stage to the purple-haired lead singer Awsten Knight, who did not fail to set an infectious tone of excitement.  Every so often, the band would interact with the fans, making the experience very personal; for example, Knight heard someone ask for a high-five and before complying, he asked if it would make them happy.  He gave that person a conversation of their own, which was very neat to witness. Guitarist Geoff Wiginton continuously tossed guitar picks and towels [that he wiped his face on] into the audience.  And at the end of the show, drummer Otto Wood even gave his drum sticks away.  (Pictures surfaced on social media after the show of Wood in front of the pizza joint Otto across the street from the club, posing in front of the sign, which just goes to show the quirky, fun personalities the boys from Waterparks have).

The band started their set with their song “Plum Island,” which hails from their debut full-length album Double Dare. After that, they continued to play a mix of songs: earlier releases, like the popular single Crave, more tracks from Double Dare, and their new single titled “Blond.” The second to last song was interrupted when fans yelled for security, as someone had fallen in the pit and needed medical attention.  The band stopped the show and acted with poise, making sure the crowd was standing back and were staying quiet. They gave water where it was needed and waited patiently until they could finish their set. Waterparks commended the audience for watching out for one another, but I must applaud them for their attitudes and actions–the situation was handled incredibly well.

While it may be difficult to decipher the lyrics at a live show if the songs are totally new, Waterparks showcased some fun ones throughout the show. The beginning of the song “Dizzy,” from Double Dare says, “I wish I was as brave as my last name suggests,” which sounds cool as is. But fans of the band will stop and chuckle whenever they hear that, as it has a pretty neat meaning; Awsten, having the last name Knight, directly references himself in the lyrics.  And since Knight is somewhat known for his seemingly ever-changing hair color, some of their song titles are about…well, hair colors.  They ended their set with “I’m a Natural Blue,” which refers to Knight having blue hair for a good bit of time. They also played their new single “Blond,” which will appear on Waterparks’ upcoming album Entertainment, due to be released on January 26!

-Maggie Leone