MIRANDA STAMBLER | THE SPECTRUM
NDSU Campus Attractions held their annual spring concert April 26, featuring the popularly known emo band We The Kings (WTK) and opening act RYNO. Audience members were able to experience a close and relaxed concert through commentary and performances.
The five band members followed RYNO’s opening performances, with their most well-known song, the song that our generation grew up singing in middle school, “Check Yes Juliet.” From there, the band moved onto another popular song from their album released in 2005, “Skyway Avenue.”
The audience filled with laughter as lead singer Travis Clark explained his reasoning for writing the song “Secret Valentine.” Clark wrote it after, as he put it, “his first time playing ‘Tetris,’” alluding to losing his virginity. He told the story by using “Tetris” terms to keep it PG for his daughters who sometimes watch videos of him playing concerts.
Clark introduced all other members of the band: Hunter Thomsen, guitar, Coley O’Toole, keyboard and guitar, Danny Duncan, drums, and Charles Trippy, bass and known Guinness World Record of vlogging.
The audience laughed as Clark made fun of the stereotypical Midwestern accent and did a terrible impression, which led to more laughter with his bandmate, O’Toole.
Clark explained how he doesn’t call audience members “fans” because it makes it sound bad because it comes from the word fanatic, so he refers to them as “friends” since that is why they are on that stage.
Clark’s “friends” jumped along to “I Feel Alive,” throwing their hands in the air and giving the “W,” symbolizing the band.
They slowed down the concert by playing their meaningful song “Just Keep Breathing.” This song is written about Clark’s time of being bullied as a child, but he explained that it has seemed to mean a lot to each listener.
A newly popular song on Radio Disney, “Sad Song” gave audience members the chance to sing along.
Cellphone flashlights rose as they played the single “Runaway” from their album “Strange Love.”
They ended the show the way they started, with “Check Yes Juliet.” Clark said he couldn’t remember the last time the band ended a show with a different song. After other band members threw their guitar picks to the crowd, leaving people diving for memorabilia, Clark stayed and sang their rendition of “The Story of Tonight” from the Broadway musical “Hamilton.”
The bass could be felt through the chest, giving the audience one last chance to jump to the music, scream and end with many W’s in the air.