They say that there is a time and place for everything. It has taken a little over a year for the Louder tour to come to Pittsburgh. Presented by 96.1 Kiss, R5 made their way to Pittsburgh on May 29, 2014.

The band made up of Ross Lynch (18- lead vocals and guitarist), Riker Lynch (22- lead vocals and bassist), Rocky Lynch (19- vocals and guitarist), Rydel Lynch (20-keyboardist), and Ellington Ratliff (21-drummer) tore up the stage at Stage AE. The five presented themselves in an energetic and passionate way, keeping everyone present dancing till the very end.

The five became a band about five years ago, The Lynchs, originally from Colorado moved to California for Riker’s acting and music career (see gLee.) The three brothers and sister decided to form a band, later meeting Ellington Ratliff, completing their quintet. From there, the five released an EP in 2010 (Ready Set Rock), another EP (Loud) in 2013, and later their debut album Louder in late 2013. Their next album is currently being recorded.

R5’s biggest music influences are mainly old rock heroes, such as The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, and Elvis Presley, and some new age alternative and rock artists such as Green Day, Fall Out Boy, and The Killers.

Most people recognize Ross from Disney Channel’s Austin&Ally, and Riker from Fox’s gLee, but both are complete and polar opposite from their characters.

Many assume that because Ross is an actor from a Disney show, R5 is a Disney house band. At first, it appeared to be true a few years back, but now, it couldn’t be any more false. Their songs and ballads aren’t typical pop/rock jams generated by the Disney popstar machine. They write and record their own music and play their own instruments. Also, what Disney house band says “damn” in a song and has sexual innuendos and lives to see the next day? They deserve to be respected as R5 the band and not “R5 the disney band” every time they are brought up in sentence. They work hard and rock harder than most bands that come to Pittsburgh.

Around 1:50 on the 29, 96.1 KISS held an intimate acoustic show at their studio for R5, about thirty girls aged ten to about twenty-five, and about 6 or 7 guys, including Mikey and Big Bob. The quintet started off with a fan favorite, “I Want You Bad”, then “Pass Me By” and ended with their electric song “(I Can’t) Forget About You.” Throughout the performances, each of the band members stared out into the crowd, scanning the faces of their fans. Ratliff definitely had the most high energy, he almost dropped his shaker, for lack of a better term, at one point.

The meet and greet went smooth. Each person ran for their favorite and had a quick conversation with each. A picture was taken, and like that, it was over. Stage AE’s concert came sooner than realized.

Click here to see each of the perfromances: http://www.961kiss.com/pages/musictheater.html

STAGE AE

Fans lined the streets of North Shore as early as 7 in the morning just to get a spot at the standing room only venue. It was quiet, calm, and had loose chatter until the doors opened at 6. Then, all havoc commenced. The crowd was probably as diverse as a concert crowd comes. Moms and Dads were in the front with their youngsters, while teens and adults alike became acquainted. The diversity didn’t matter, though. Everyone was brought together for one thing and one thing only: three blondes and two brunettes called R5. As fans waited for R5 to appear, they talked and sang Whitney Houston and Ace of Base songs. The venue was packed by show time. It was hard not to rub shoulders with your neighbor.

The stage had a simple set up. Three mics stood parallel up front with guitar picks lining the mic stands, a drum kit and a keyboard on a platform stood in the back, and a bunch of electronic equipment lined each side. About six or seven stage lights shined behind the kit and keyboard. It was far from any Katy Perry or Lady Gaga stage presentation, but in this instance, a little goes a long way.

At 7, the youngest Lynch, Ryland (17), had a DJ set. He mixed numerous songs ranging from artists like Lana Del Rey, Calvin Harris, and Lil John. He pumped up the crowd and mixed surprisingly well.

Around 7:30, a drum kit, a keyboard, a bass and an electric guitar could be heard from the streets surrounding the area. The lights inside looked like the second coming of Jesus because of how bright they were at times. The five entered from stage right (looking at the crowd) and all of sudden, the calm atmosphere erupted into “I love yous” and girlish screams-even from dads.

Ratliff started off the night by saying something to the effect of how they are finally here and how they should have came to Pittsburgh sooner because of how much they liked it. Riker commented how nice the venue was.

There were no outfit changes, no animatronics, no random video introductions that had nothing to do with the tour; absolutely nothing that would take your attention from the actual talent of the band. You could hear clearly and see clearly that they were there because of their talent, not because one is on Disney show and another was on a Fox show. A lot of artists cannot say that they can play instruments, spin in circles, dance, and jump all the while singing their hearts out in key and in sync. The five are genuine musicians who definitely have their heads in the right place.

Riker commented at one point that “[We] wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the fans. We are all incredibly thankful to be here tonight.”

All were energetic and smiled from start to finish, they almost seemed kid-like at times. ¾ of the band are siblings, but all could not be any more different. Riker, the eldest of the group, laughed and sang while strumming along to each and every song. Ross, the second youngest, was energetic all the while being straight faced and serious at moments, confident and suggestive at others, and goofball-like every other time. Rocky, the third youngest, was laid back and loyal to his side of the stage, flashing a white smile and winking from time to time. Then, there was Ratliff who couldn’t sit still and flashed a goofy grin every time he jammed out to songs like “Counting Stars” and “Loud.” Finally, Rydel, the fourth oldest, was ever classy and sassy. She may be the only girl, but she keeps the boys in line. She really took the show into her own hands during “Love The Way You Love Me.”

The electric energy bounced off from each of the band members and radiated into the crowd. It was hard not to smile like an idiot and jump around until you couldn’t feel your feet. By 9:30 the concert ended and it was hard for fans to leave.

R5 put on a show that was definitely worth seeing. Fans left satisfied, emotional, and exhausted, which is always a good sign.Tickets for the tour start out at around $30. The price guarantees general admission, vip guarantees meet and greet, soundcheck, and early venue access. Get loud and get out to see R5 in concert!

Setlist Featured:

“Let’s Go Crazy”
“(I Can’t) Forget About You”
“If I Can’t Be With You”
“Pass Me By”
“Counting Stars” One Republic cover
“What Do I Have To Do?”-Featuring a snippet from Mark Ronson’s (Amy Winehouse) “Valerie”
“Here Comes Forever”
“Love Me Like That”
“One Last Dance”
“Seven Nation Army” The White Stripes cover
“Fallin’ For You”
“Want You Bad”
“Cali Girls” Later dubbed “Pittsburgh Girls”
“Ain’t No Way We’re Goin’ Home”
Encore song: “Loud”