[Photo courtesy of Grace Koennecke]

By Grace Koennecke, Columns Editor and Copy Editor

It can be rare to see such mainstream artists come to a college town as small as Athens, but nonetheless, it was a lovely surprise when Ohio University announced that The Driver Era would perform at Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium on Nov. 10.

Headed by former Disney Channel star Ross Lynch, alongside his brother Rocky Lynch, the band grew to popularity before and during the COVID-19 pandemic for their breakout songs “Feel You Now”, “Afterglow”, and “Preacher Man”. Playing all around the world, the band proved it was no stranger to performing in front of new crowds, making Athens the perfect setting.

With many fans in attendance solely because of Ross Lynch’s notoriety, as well as his looks, the atmosphere was certainly chaotic. One could hear fans barking at the singer on stage as he slowly took layer after layer off, a signature move The Driver Era purposely does to get a reaction from their young, and mostly female, fanbase. This clear fact was the only aspect of the show I didn’t enjoy, as it felt extremely exploitative to see fans wave around signs that dawned messages like “Take your shirt off” even before the show started.

However, the band brought the energy right out of the gates, sporting OU hockey jerseys. Playing “Feel You Now” and “Natural”, the room exploded into cheers as they bounced along to the beat, which was fun to witness. The brothers danced around the stage, begging fans to sing along all while making silly faces and getting up close to the pit.

“Afterglow” was another key point of the night since almost all in attendance knew the words. Blue lights flicked on and off as The Driver Era sang a snippet of one of their most underrated songs, “OMG Plz Don’t Come Around”, but sadly, they quickly moved on to “Like a King” and “flashdrive”.

One of my favorite parts of the night came with “Rumors”, the band’s most recent release. With Lynch saying it was the first time they had played the song live, it was a special moment that Athens was in on, especially with a band as big as The Driver Era. A song addressing Lynch’s recent public breakup and celebrity persona, it was interesting to see him interact with the crowd, unphased and unapologetic.

After playing a few slower songs like “Fantasy” and “San Francisco”, the band transitioned into the end of their setlist, which was much more lively and interactive. A fan even threw a hot pink cowboy hat on stage, causing Lynch to put it on and use it as a prop for the rest of the night. Songs like “Take Me Away”, “Low”, and “Malibu” saw the two brothers embrace and mess around on stage, which caused a ripple of laughter from the crowd.

The long awaited moment of Ross Lynch shirtless finally came, and to be honest, it didn’t really add much to the set like I had heard about online. However, it did lift the energy in the room to a new height I’ve never seen at other live events, and it made the end of their show extremely joyous.

The duo finished off the night with “Preacher Man”, “Heart of Mine”, and my personal favorite, “A Kiss”. The latter track encouraged the crowd to dance their hearts out and the brothers made sure to saunter around stage, initiating a call-and-response with the lyrics. It was definitely a great finale to an 18-track setlist, and fans were heartbroken to see no encore in sight.

Overall, The Driver Era brought excellent stage presence and charisma to Athens, Ohio, even if the duo was there more so for their notoriety. It was a relaxing and cathartic live experience, and everyone in the room seemed connected to the band in some way, proving their dedication to their large fanbase.

Listen to The Driver Era here: