On Thursday, May 2nd, alternative rock and funk band The Driver Era entered the spotlight at the Dome at Toyota Oakdale in Wallingford, CT. The band consists of brothers Ross and Rocky Lynch as the main members. Older brother, Riker Lynch, is found playing guitar alongside the brother duo. Being the 14th stop of the self-titled east coast tour, it follows the releases of their most recent singles: “Rumors” and “Get Off My Phone.”

Originating out of Los Angeles, California, Lynch family: Riker, Rydel, Rocky, Ross, and Ryland, started performing in 2009 under the name R5; the band also consisted of a drummer named Ellington Ratliff. Though Ryland didn’t play within the band itself, the whole family has been heavily involved in the success of both bands. R5 came to popularity through lead singer Ross Lynch’s Disney Channel exposure from his lead role as Austin in the show “Austin & Ally.” The channel showed music videos from the band’s most notable tracks such as “Loud” and “(I Can’t) Forget About You.” Many tracks from the band will undoubtedly be found on fans’ throwback playlists. The embodiment of nostalgia, talent, and family dynamic lead to the success and loyal fanbase today. The band R5 disbanded in 2018 after brothers Ross and Rocky released their first single, “Preacher Man,” under the new name The Driver Era. Making the mutually decided switch to suit the creative goals of the family.

Following the band’s switch from feel-good pop to alternative, the brothers released another single titled “Afterglow.” By 2019, the brothers had been off and running, releasing their debut album entitled “X.” Since the release of the newfound aesthetic, The Driver Era has gained even more popularity prompting the releases of their three following albums: “Girlfriend,” “Summer Mixtape,” and “Live At The Greek;” the most popular song currently being “A Kiss,” off of the album “Girlfriend.” The Driver Era blesses fan’s ears with songs ranging with the themes of life, facing inner demons, personal experiences, relationships, and deep emotions. Having already over 1.6M Instagram followers, the brothers are only just getting started.

Energetically starting the concert was Columbian-pop singer, VALÈ. Touring for the first time ever, as The Driver Era’s opener, VALÈ showed her true passion for both her culture and her music. Exposing the crowd to her melodic and relatable songs, titles such as, “chill like that” immediately hyped up the fans. The title “chill like that” is coming off of a future debut EP set to launch later in the summer. While constantly interacting with the crowd, VALÈ taught the lyrics to her song “lo tengo mal.” Her thrilling dance moves took the performance to the next level. Not only was her excitement infectious, but she truly showed the crowd she is only beginning her journey towards her own headline tour.

After much anticipation, The Driver Era hit the stage starting the crowd with the song “OMG Plz Don’t Come Around,” a single released back in 2020, as the crowd roared with enthusiasm. As the night went on, the energy continued to increase, song after song, while the brothers encouraged crowd members to jump and go crazy. At one point lead singer Ross Lynch jokingly stated, “You guys got enough room to mosh down there,” setting the tone for the rest of the show with an insane amount of energy. The talent of the brothers was unmatched with multiple guitars being switched in and out for each song. As the songs went on, the show itself kept getting better and better, and expectations were definitely met. The Lynch brothers played hits such as “Malibu,” “Low,” and “On My Own,” a song from the Disney Channel “Teen Beach Movie” soundtrack where Ross played lead male role Brady. Also mixing their song “Low” with the popular 1996 hit “Pony” by Ginuwine. Not only was the playing from the brothers truly extraordinary, Ross made multiple different outfit changes from accessories handed to him from the crowd. A memorable night for sure, filled with feather boas, custom sunglasses, and multiple different glamorous cowboy hats.

The performance unfortunately took an end after about an hour and a half of pure enjoyment. The brothers ended the show with lots of movement across the stage filled with dancing, jumping, and crowd interactions to one of their first songs “Afterglow.” Getting as close to the crowd as possible, the crowd screamed as the guitar and drum playing got more aggressive. All bandmates gathered together for one final big bow to close off the show and say “see you later” to CT. There is no doubt those who attended are anxiously waiting for the next CT tour date to be released.

If you were unable to make it to The Driver Era show, make sure to follow their social medias to look out for more important updates pertaining tour dates and song releases.