The band, which includes Ross and Rocky Lynch, gave a fantastic performance at the Roxian Theatre on Tuesday night during their initial North American tour stop.
The Roxian Theatre in McKees Rocks was completely full, and despite the bad weather, a large number of fans turned up to see the band.
Western Pennsylvania experienced flash flood warnings on Tuesday, followed by a tornado watch announced by the National Weather Service throughout the concert.
There was a long line outside the Roxian as fans waited to enter.
The duo, made up of two Lynch brothers who were previously part of the now-defunct family band, R5, plays alternative rock.
They started with their song “Back To You” from the album “Summer Mixtape,” with Ross wearing a blazer and jeans, and Rocky dressed in all black.
The band then performed their latest single, “Get Off My Phone.” Ross teased the crowd, suggesting they might not be familiar with the lyrics since it was just released in February. However, the audience proved him wrong by singing along to the entire song.
I’m here at the Roxian Theatre, where @RossLynch is set to perform a sold out concert with his band The Driver Era ????
It’s their first stop in North America, and the line to get in wraps around the street | Covering for @TribLIVE pic.twitter.com/KF2z9pSESL
— Megan Swift (@mgswift7) April 2, 2024
Following “Feel You Now” from their first album “X” and “Take Me Away” from their 2021 album “Girlfriend,” the brothers played several well-received songs.
During “Need A Man,” Ross abandoned his blazer and instead wore a short-sleeved The Driver Era T-shirt, which was available for purchase at the merchandise stand.
Several songs, including “Rumors” and “Afterglow,” were popular among the crowd. They also performed “Natural,” “Places,” and “Heaven Angel.”
One of the highlights was their performance of “Malibu.” The usually upbeat summer anthem was transformed into a groovy number, even featuring some salsa dancing by the bandmates.
The crowd chanted “Take it off!” in reference to Ross' shirt. He teased the audience, promising something even better.
“Have you seen ‘Teen Beach Movie’?” Ross inquired.
This question sparked enthusiastic screams.
Ross starred in the 2013 Disney movie, and the songs from the soundtrack are still highly regarded even after more than a decade.
He then performed the ballad “On My Own” from the movie, followed by “Forever Always” and “San Francisco.”
The band also gave an enthusiastic rendition of “Nobody Knows,” which included a well-executed knee spin dance move and some break dancing.
During the song “Low,” Ross borrowed a fan’s red cowboy hat from the front row for a dance break with hat choreography.
VALÉ opens for The Driver Era at the Roxian Theatre @TribLIVE pic.twitter.com/FcmgRVB1lr
— Megan Swift (@mgswift7) April 3, 2024
Next, the band performed a throwback from the R5 days, “All Night,” which Ross dedicated to a fan from Spain in the front row.
The second-to-last song of the main set, “Fantasy,” was introduced with strobe lights and water effects, providing a slow groovy sound to the audience.
Finally, Ross took off his shirt, much to the crowd's anticipation, and received loud cheers.
The main set concluded with “Preacher Man,” featuring a drum solo. Ross wore sunglasses as he energetically jumped around the stage.
The encore included “Heart of Mine” and the band’s most famous song, “A Kiss.”
VALÉ performed as the opening act for The Driver Era, adding excitement and Colombian style to the performance.
