Mohegan Sun Presents: 5 Seconds of Summer Show Tour, August 10th, 2023, in Uncasville, Connecticut
Words and Photos by: Jacklyn Lipscomb
5 Seconds of Summer kicked off their 5 Seconds of Summer Show tour at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut on Thursday, August 10th. Just on the heels of the release of their newest album, 5SOS5, fans traveled from all over the country to be the first to witness the Australian pop/rock band back in the United States for the first time in nearly a year. With support from pop punk trio Meet Me At The Altar, the crowd was instantly captivated and buzzing with excitement from the very first chords that rang throughout the arena.
Opening their set with tracks like “Same Language” and “Need Me”, concert goers were instantly wowed at the infectious stage presence of Edith, Tea, and Ada as it became overwhelmingly apparent just how grateful they were to be supporting the beloved Aussie four piece on the road. If the first three original tracks weren’t enough to win the crowd over already, the following covers of 2000’s pleasers like “Since U Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson, “Complicated” by Avril Lavigne, and “Burnin Up” by the Jonas Brothers earned a thunderous applause, and left fans eager to hear more by the rising alternative trio.
Soon after, in true 5SOS nature, the lights dimmed and pre-recorded introduction skits featuring each member of the band got the crowd laughing and engaged from the very first word. As the screens went dark and the giant curtain covering the stage finally dropped, Luke, Ashton, Michael, and Calum gave a nod to the audience before diving right into tracks like “Bad Omens,” “2011,” “Caramel,” and “Blender.” Each song flowed effortlessly into the next, hardly leaving fans any time to catch their breath between crowd-pleaser after crowd-pleaser. With a total of 28 songs on the setlist, the band crafted the performance with pure precision, carefully threading slower songs like “Amnesia” and “Ghost of You” between old and new favorites alike. Arguably their most diverse setlist in years, the band even stopped halfway through the show to bring out a giant inflatable dice with 6 potential song choices for the audience to choose from. After flinging the dice straight into the middle of the crowd, the band teased fans as the dice landed back onstage, with “Heartbreak Girl” winning the title of the evening.
The fan engagement and playful stage antics didn’t stop there though; Between more pre-recorded skits, inside fandom jokes, and confetti canons representing bottles of so-called “5 Sauce” being sprayed into the crowd, the performance had a little bit of something for everyone to enjoy. Between the songs, each member of the band had time to speak directly to the audience and expressed their gratitude for all of the love and support they have been shown throughout their careers.
Only enhancing the intimate nature of the entire production, amidst the sprawling setlist and enthralling bass beats, was the added bonus of each member also having their own dedicated moments to show their individual talents off to the crowd. Luke, being the so-called “frontman”, commanded the room from start to finish, Calum had notable vocal and bass solos, Michael showed his edgier punk rock side with his stripped version of “Jet Black Heart”, while Ashton brought the heat with an intense drum battle face-off to prove that the thousands of screaming fans were simply no match for the reverberations of his backing rhythms.
Rumor has it that the band will not be returning to the United States again for a very long time, as Calum expressed while being “overrun with emotions” during his reflection on the band’s latest endeavors and the amount of joy he feels about completing the entire North American run of the tour.
With dates spanning across the United States and Europe until the end of October, it still leaves plenty of time to experience the rush of pure serotonin and nostalgic whiplash that will surely result from the entire installment of the 5 Seconds of Summer Show.
Check out the full gallery of 5 Seconds of Summer below!
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