Hometown Heroes: All Time Low Brings The Forever Tour To Maryland
Following two nights of sold-out shows in Washington, D.C. at the 9:30 Club and The Atlantis, All Time Low played their biggest hometown headlining show at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland as the final stop on their All Time Low Forever Tour.
Kicking off the evening was Canadian native Lauren Mandel, a singer-songwriter performing professionally as LØLØ. Since 2018, LØLØ has built an audience on TikTok and YouTube, and most recently released her first full-length album, falling for robots & wishing i was one in June of 2024. Rocking fishnet stockings and a pink plaid dress, she bounced around the stage exuding cheerleader vibes, even shaking some pom poms around during her set. LØLØ’s infectious energy and “bubblegum punk” style quickly won over the crowd, who excitedly sang along to her cover of Icona Pop’s “I Love It” as well as her original songs.
Setlist:
junkie
kill the girl
debbie downer
Don’t (Live debut, unreleased)
u turn me on (but u give me depression)
faceplant (With snippet of “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers)
omg
I Love It (Icona Pop cover)
hot girls in hell
Next up were Boys Like Girls, who were also celebrating 20 years since their formation in Massachusetts. In true rockstar fashion, group members appeared on stage one by one, dressed in leather jackets and heeled boots despite the hot summer weather. Vocalist Martin Johnson, drummer John Keefe, lead guitarist Jamel Hawke, and bassist Gregory James played through a blend of old and new songs across the Boys Like Girls discography.
Their set was a trip down memory lane, filled with the kind of high-energy, sing-along anthems that helped define a generation of pop-punk fans. Their presence on stage was electric, and the crowd’s response made it clear that their music still resonates deeply. The group wrapped up their set with a trio of fan-favorites, “Hero/Heroine,” “The Great Escape,” and “Two Is Better Than One.” They’ll continue performing as support for Dashboard Confessional’s Fall Tour through October of this year.
Setlist:
SUNDAY AT FOXWOODS
Love Drunk
Five Minutes to Midnight
BLOOD AND SUGAR
She’s Got A Boyfriend Now
LANGUAGE
Heels Over Head
Thunder
MIRACLE
Hero/Heroine
The Great Escape (With Love Drunk outro)
Two Is Better Than One
The night’s headliners, All Time Low, were nothing short of spectacular. Boasting an impressive 35-song setlist, the band’s performance felt like a journey through their career, not unlike Taylor Swift’s famed “Eras Tour.”
Forming in Baltimore in 2003, All Time Low members include lead singer Alex Gaskarth, guitarist Jack Barakat, bassist Zack Merrick, and drummer Rian Dawson, with touring member Dan Swank providing keyboard, guitar, and backing vocal skills. Over the past two decades the band has produced several studio albums and live concert recordings while selling out venues across the globe on frequent tours. Their latest creative project is The Forever Sessions Vol. 1, an album released on August 23rd, which features re-recorded versions of some of their biggest hits.
The crowd’s energy radiated from the front row of the barricade all the way to the back of the lawn behind the amphitheater. The setlist spanned their entire discography and was filled with deep cuts like “Jasey Rae,” and “The Girl’s a Straight-Up Hustler” from their EP, Put Up Or Shut Up (2006). It also had examples of their newer sound sprinkled in, including “The Sound of Letting Go” and “Sleepwalking” off of Tell Me I’m Alive (2023).
During an impromptu cover of The Ramones’ “Blitzkrieg Bop,” frontman Alex Gaskarth joked about how the group had evolved into a “weird Ramones-Beach Boys cover band,” all while sporting a Hawaiian shirt that added to the laid-back, celebratory atmosphere. A perfect example of classic, silly All Time Low banter.
The band’s connection to Baltimore was evident throughout the night, especially when the mascots for the Ravens and Orioles joined the stage during “For Baltimore” to dance and throw t-shirts into the crowd. It’s well-known that All Time Low has always been tight-knit with their hometown community, frequently attending Ravens games and performing at local events.
In a heartwarming surprise, Gaskarth’s wife and high-school sweetheart, Lisa, joined him on stage for a duet of the recently re-recorded “Remembering Sunday.” Fans, who were largely unaware of Lisa’s vocal talents, were visibly moved by the intimate moment. The guest appearances didn’t end there – during the encore of All Time Low’s performance, LØLØ joined the band on stage wearing a custom “All Time LØLØ” shirt to perform “PMA.”
For fans who have followed All Time Low since the early 2000s, this show was a nostalgic dream come true. As the night drew to a close, Alex Gaskarth danced on stage to Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” soaking in the energy of the packed amphitheater. It was a fitting end to a night which served as a reminder of the community that has formed around their music. Once the confetti settled and the last notes rang out, it was clear that this was more than just a concert—it was a celebration of the band’s legacy and their unwavering bond with their fans.
For those that missed this show or just want to relive it, the band recorded a high-quality stream; All Time Low ‘Forever: Live From Maryland’ can be purchased and watched via On Air after September 12th, 2024.
Setlist:
Tell Me I’m Alive (Partial, on piano)
Some Kind of Disaster
Weightless
Lost in Stereo (Jack went in the crowd)
Six Feet Under the Stars
Poppin’ Champagne
Stay Awake (Dreams Only Last for a Night)
Shameless
Jasey Rae
The Girl’s a Straight-Up Hustler
Vegas (With “The Girl’s A Straight Up Hustler” outro)
Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don’t)
Do You Want Me (Dead?)
Runaways
Somewhere in Neverland
For Baltimore (With Baltimore Ravens and Orioles mascots onstage)
Something’s Gotta Give
Kids in the Dark (Partial, on piano)
Old Scars / Future Hearts
Glitter & Crimson
Blitzkrieg Bop (Ramones cover, impromptu)
Missing You
Therapy
Remembering Sunday (With Alex Gaskarth’s wife, Lisa)
Sleepwalking
Are You There?
Melancholy Kaleidoscope
Dirty Laundry
Monsters
Afterglow
Encore:
Calm Down
Fake as Hell
PMA (with LØLØ)
The Sound of Letting Go
Dear Maria, Count Me In