{"id":51775,"date":"2025-12-04T19:08:50","date_gmt":"2025-12-05T00:08:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/?p=51775"},"modified":"2025-12-04T19:11:42","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T00:11:42","slug":"waterparks-roadrunner-11-20","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/2025\/12\/04\/waterparks-roadrunner-11-20\/","title":{"rendered":"Waterparks @ Roadrunner 11\/20"},"content":{"rendered":"

Photography by Kate Kotlyar<\/span><\/p>\n

Review by Jamie Ko<\/span><\/p>\n

On Thursday, a rainbow sea of hair-dyed heads gathered at Roadrunner for the equally vibrant band, Waterparks. Proudly hailing from Houston, the trio has been working tirelessly since 2011 in the alternative scene, molding the pop-punk genre to fit their artistic vision. From their debut album \u201cDouble Dare\u201d to their latest 2023 record \u201cIntellectual Property,\u201d their sound has seen bold experimentation with elements of pop and electronic, forgoing labels and doing their own thing unapologetically. The band consists of frontman Awsten Knight on vocals and guitar, Geoff Wigington on guitar, and Otto Wood on drums. Fans have waited patiently for nearly two years since their last U.S. tour, and they are now back on the road for The Prowler Tour.<\/span><\/p>\n

The night opened with a thrilling act from Jhariah. Much like Waterparks, their music was hard to categorize into a single genre. The band\u2019s sound was reminiscent of early 2000s pop-punk at times and musical numbers at times\u2014Jhariah\u2019s theatrical vocals showed impressive range and dynamic, perfectly equipped for both categories. The dancey rhythm and catchy melodies had the audience dancing from the first song of their set, \u201cBIGSHOT.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Jhariah was followed by singer-songwriter Chloe Moriondo, whom a decent handful of the audience was familiar with. Bounding onstage with blonde pigtails, she performed an eclectic set of shimmering hyperpop and pop-punk, all united by her distinctive style. Moriondo sang her older hits like \u201cI Want to Be With You,\u201d as well as tracks from her newest album, \u201coyster.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

At last, Waterparks took the stage and cut through the room\u2019s palpable anticipation with \u201cBlonde,\u201d the punchy lead track from their sophomore album \u201cEntertainment.\u201d The backdrop screen flashed with saturated hues and 3D-animated visuals throughout the set. The show had a unique structure that consisted of four segments, each dedicated to exploring \u201cthe primary emotions that make human beings tick,\u201d as explained by a pre-recorded, educational-style video.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The first segment was Happiness\u2014fittingly, the band played \u201cStupid for You,\u201d \u201cDream Boy,\u201d and \u201cFUNERAL GREY,\u201d which are all upbeat songs about infatuation. True to the Waterparks brand, Knight frequently engaged in humorous banter with the audience, keeping the room full of laughter between songs. He selected a fan to choose between two songs: \u201cTelephone\u201d or \u201cPeach (Lobotomy).\u201d The fan picked the latter, and the cold November night momentarily transformed into summer with the song\u2019s refreshing instrumentals and wistful lyrics.<\/span><\/p>\n

The second section, Sadness, began with \u201cHigh Definition.\u201d Swaying phone flashlights accompanied this introspective ballad about craving love but pulling away because of circumstances and the fear of getting hurt. This segment also featured a crowd pick between \u201cNot Warriors\u201d and \u201cGloom Boys.\u201d The winner was \u201cNot Warriors,\u201d leaving some fans disappointed and some screaming with excitement. Despite the divisiveness, this track is a fan favorite due to its lyrics, \u201cBut hey, for what it\u2019s worth, I think you saved my life,\u201d which is a sentiment that many fans hold toward the band itself.<\/span><\/p>\n

Before moving on to the third segment, Knight played a short acoustic set of surprise songs. Because of the unpredictability, it has been a highly anticipated part of each show. To my utter shock, the first song was a live debut of \u201cTeenage Jealousy,\u201d which is from a collection of unreleased demos originally posted on the band\u2019s SoundCloud. Knight joked, \u201cIf you\u2019re chronically online, enjoy this. If you have a job, this is not for you.\u201d Though he only played one chorus, it was a monumental moment for \u201cchronically online\u201d demo fans. The acoustic set also included \u201cWorst,\u201d \u201cViolet!,\u201d \u201cLucky People,\u201d and \u201cI Miss Having Sex But At Least I Don\u2019t Wanna Die Anymore.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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The third segment, Anticipation, featured Waterparks\u2019 newest singles for their upcoming album. The band dropped \u201cIF LYRICS WERE CONFIDENTIAL\u201d this September, and I knew upon first listen that the live experience would be phenomenal. The song\u2019s petty, frustrated attitude and shouting bits made for an extremely cathartic experience. After seeing how hyped-up the fans were, I can confidently predict that it will become a staple song on future Waterparks setlists.<\/span><\/p>\n

The final segment was Anger, perfectly suited for tracks like \u201cTANTRUM,\u201d \u201cREAL SUPER DARK,\u201d and \u201cTurbulent.\u201d It was especially a great time for the mosh pit and crowdsurfers. This energy was seamlessly carried into the encore, \u201cLIKE IT.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

For the audience, it was a night to let loose and scream all worries away. Waterparks delivered a powerful live production that showcased the wide emotional range of their discography, and not a single moment lacked in color or energy. Their new music continues to evolve stylistically while remaining uniquely \u201cthem.\u201d Upon seeing the band perform the new songs, they seem more self-assured than they ever have been. After this tour, Waterparks will be ready to charge into a new chapter with their upcoming album, set to be released in 2026.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Photography by Kate Kotlyar Review by Jamie Ko On Thursday, a rainbow sea of hair-dyed heads gathered at Roadrunner for the equally vibrant band, Waterparks. Proudly hailing from Houston, the trio has been working tirelessly since 2011 in the alternative scene, molding the pop-punk genre to fit their artistic vision. From their debut album \u201cDouble […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25371,"featured_media":51777,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1895,1525,1523,15,1530],"tags":[1926,284],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51775"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25371"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51775"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51775\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":51783,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51775\/revisions\/51783"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51777"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51775"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51775"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51775"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}