Last Tuesday the CFE arena at UCF was host to the “Self-Titled Tour” where alternative rock bands Paramore, Metric, and Hellogoodbye performed for a packed crowd.
Fans began lining up early in the afternoon in anticipation of the evening’s show and to be able to grab a spot near the front of the stage. Lines stretched to Gemini Boulevard but quickly disappeared as the doors opened and concertgoers poured into the venue.
The night began with a performance by pop-rock group Hellogoodbye who took to the stage with energy and excitement during their brief half hour set. Hellogoodbye recently released a new album and used the show to promote the album and play a handful of songs from it. The band also included an older song “Here in Your Arms,” during their set which got the audience singing along. After tossing a handful of CDs to the audience the band hyped the audience for the show to come and vacated the stage for the next act.
Metric, a Canadian indie rock band with years of experience, followed the performance by Hellogoodbye, Their set was also made up of mostly new material and the band played a set of rock songs with complex drum beats and groovy bass lines. Emily Haines, the lead singer of Metric, didn’t banter much with the crowd except to thank Paramore for inviting them to tour together. Haines was more focused on the music and the performance got the whole crowd moving and pumped for the headline act.
Finally, Paramore took the stage and the crowd erupted with excitement. A curtain the first two acts performed in front of was dropped and a massive stage and light display was revealed. Hayley Williams, the singer of the group, discussed how excited she was to be back in Florida and how much time the band had spent here early in their career. The crowd came for Paramore as evidenced by their excitement but Williams introduced the band to those who weren’t familiar and described the new audience as “fresh meat.”
Whether audience members were long-time fans or fresh meat the concert was an awesome experience and many fans left with a sensation of glee and enjoyment.