Indie pop band The Driver Era commanded the stage in GW Program Board’s annual Spring Fling concert, with former Disney star Ross Lynch alongside brother Rocky Lynch delivering a high-energy performance to a small but mighty crowd.
“You might know them from their songs like ‘Kiss’ and ‘Preacher Man’ or maybe their most recent album, ‘Obsession,’” one member of Program Board said, met by light cheering.
“You might also know Ross Lynch from potentially ‘Teen Beach Movie,’” she then said. The semi-full Smith Center erupted in screams.
After 10 days of speed-run marketing, ticket sales and flash promotions — a departure from the monthlong campaigns of previous years — Program Board’s annual concert attracted a high energy, yet sparse, crowd. While most attendees weren’t screaming along to every lyric, the pit was constantly dancing, reaching toward the brothers and cheering along their electric performance.
The organization deleted the original Instagram announcement of the performance on April 4 and didn’t officially reveal the headliners until April 9. During the short promotional period, Program Board was met with criticism after charging for entry for the second year in a row. Prior to last year’s concert when Quavo headlined, the event was free for students, but a Program Board Instagram post said the fact that they do not receive “full funding from the University and rely on limited SGA funds” forces the organization to charge for tickets again this year.
Program Board did not return requests for comment.
Program Board offered three tiers of tickets: early entry floor access, general floor access and general admission seating, ranging from $20-$60 with a $5 discount for GW students. Public controversies surrounding the performers, such as members of the Lynch family’s alleged following of conservative social media accounts, were also addressed by the organization on their Instagram account.
“Artist selection is based on a variety of factors: student interest, availability, budget, and tour schedules,” the story post said. “To clarify, there has been no official endorsement of any political candidate by the artist.”
Students funneled into the Smith Center before the concert’s 8 p.m. start time, with adamant fans arriving at 6 p.m. to claim their spots near the barricade to the stage. The top section of bleachers on both sides of the gym were closed off to audience members, and two sections of bleachers remained empty.
Lisa Heller, an indie pop artist with over 40,000 monthly Spotify listeners, kicked off the night in her opening act, jumping and whipping her hair as she sang bangers and ballads she co-wrote, some inspired by mental health struggles. The setlist included songs like “This is the End” and “Crushing on Straight Girls,” as well as some unreleased songs.
The audience was mellow until Heller laid on the energy with a cover of “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers, descending from the stage onto the Smith Center floor and even taking the phone from a member of the crowd and videotaping herself singing.
After a brief intermission between performers, the crowd roared as The Driver Era made their way on stage. Opening with the lead single “You Keep Me Up At Night” from their recently released album “Obsession,” fans sang along and jumped to the beat of the upbeat pop hit.
“What the f*ck is up! Are y’all ready for a good time tonight?” Ross Lynch yelled after the song ended. “Hell yeah. I’m allowed to cuss, right?”
The group kept the provocative energy up throughout the night, swapping the Disney Channel Austin Moon energy for suggestive dances and songs as Ross Lynch grinded on a microphone stand, prompting yells and gasps from the crowd. The suggestive dance moves continued throughout the night, with strong audience reactions that never reached a lull.
“Everybody go to school here? Fancy school,” Ross Lynch said between songs. “My college was Disney Channel.”
The band played a song “On my Own,” a nostalgic hit from the Disney Channel movie Teen Beach 2, in which Ross Lynch starred as the lead throughout the series. The pair riled the crowd up, with Ross Lynch running over to each side of the stage, reaching to audience members’ hands, and he even stole a fan’s pink cowgirl hat for a few songs. He brought his well known “Austin and Ally” dance moves to the stage, jumping and twisting around as he sang upbeat songs, like “Rumors” and “The Weekend.”
The duo’s last song, “A Kiss,” invigorated the crowd, singing along and waving light-up wands provided by Program Board.
As the song winded down, the band continued to play, while crew members threw guitar picks, drumsticks and set lists into the crowd. The band left the stage as Ross Lynch threw up peace signs and heart hands up to the audience, while concertgoers kept their hands raised, grasping for the freebies.
