REIVEW: The Driver Era @ Great Scott 3/13

By Maunika Reddy

A half an hour passed since the opening band PUBLIC finished their set. The crowd was eager for The Driver Era to take the stage. Cheers flooded the venue from the back as the band appeared and headed for the stage.

The Driver Era is a musical duo composed of brothers Ross and Rocky Lynch. The two were previously apart of R5, which was their family band. They decided to take the next step in their musical career, leading to the creation of a new sound and new band.

After Ross and Rocky came on the stage, they were followed by the other members of R5. The crowd roared with excitement due to this unexpected band reunion. They opened with The Driver Era’s new unreleased song “Feel You Now.” Everyone felt this electricity in the air, sparked by hearing their new music and seeing them all together on the stage.

The Great Scott is a small venue, but that just brought everyone closer and more connected to the music. It was a venue filled with love and support for The Driver Era, not only from the crowd but also from their friends and family. Seeing all five of the musicians on stage just shows how much support there is, and how no matter what they will always be a family.

The next song was “Nobody Knows,” followed by “Afterglow.” The Driver Era has an alternative sound, that is different form the pop rock music that R5 performed. Up next was “Give You What You Want.” Not only were most of the songs performed unreleased, but this was also the opening show of their tour. For most of these songs, it was their first time performing them in front of an audience. With each song, the crowd erupted in cheers and applause, showing their love for the band’s new music.

Next up, they decided to switch things up and sing a cover of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” by Frankie Valli. The crowd sang along to this classic song, and it felt like we took a time machine and went back to the 60s. On the band’s website, it states that they “capture a certain classic feeling while looking toward tomorrow.” This describes their sound perfectly. Ross and Rocky Lynch are able to create these new songs, that have a sound that is somehow able to bring you back to the past while also taking you to the future.

After the next song “Scared of Heights,” everyone left the stage except for Ross. He grabbed his acoustic guitar and played a song he wrote while he took some time off in Canada. The song really showed how much of a vocal range he has. The previous songs showed how powerful his voice is, and this song showed us how he also has this calm, soothing tone. The crowd could feel how personal the song is to him, and was grateful that he let them in.

They all came back on stage and performed a few more new songs, and then announced that they were going to sing another cover by a band they really love. They started playing R5’s song “Red Velvet.” Their crowd screamed and filled with excitement. They sang along with the band, reminiscing on the days of R5. After that they played another new song, “Welcome to the End of Your Life.” This was unlike anything they’ve done before. The sound was so different compared to the previous song, and the crowd was able to see how much they evolved.

The last two songs of the night were two songs that the band has released. The first one was “Low.” This song showed off Rocky’s vocals, and everyone was so excited to hear his voice. He spent most of the concert singing back up vocals, while playing the guitar. Rocky wrote and produced this song, and it was evident how loved it was by the crowd singing along. This emphasizes how talented the band is. They sing, play instruments, and write their own music. They put a lot of work into making sure their music is not only completely different from anything they’ve done before, but also has their personal touch. The final song of the night was their debut single “Preacher Man.” The energy was just as high for the final number as it was at the very beginning. The Driver Era and the other members of their former band R5 had so much fun on stage. They were all moving and jumping around to the beat of the music, and it was so clear how excited they were for their tour to start. Their energy on stage reflected the crowd’s energy, and everyone was on the same wavelength. Everyone was having a good time. The band’s new music was loved by everyone in the venue, and every person left feeling the euphoria they felt inside. They were excited for the prospects of this duo and their new sound. It truly was the beginning of a new era, The Driver Era.