Anna Paulson
New-to-me band, Why Don’t We, brought energy, excitement, and a lot of teenage girls to the Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul Sunday night. Packing the 5,000 seat venue, the fans certainly showed up for their boys.
Opener EBEN started the night out on stage, completely alone, with pop and hip-hop-ridden tracks backing his performance. While not my cup of tea, he seemed to do a good job readying the crowd for the main event.
The lights went out and I lost my sense of being for a moment as the auditorium filled with piercing screams. I could tell those in attendance were more than thrilled to be there, and to me, that’s a sure-tell sign that it will be a good concert.
Why Don’t We opened with one of their hits, “Trust Fund Baby”, and the crowd lost it, or at least they lost what little they had left to lose. The band started on their seemingly signature five singular platforms that they would return to throughout the night.
Jack, Corbyn, Zach, Jonah, and Daniel moved completely in sync, but there was still noticeable differences between the five— mainly in the shape of their hair, but still, differences.
Their next few songs were all upbeat, pop-y, catchy, boy band-y, and fun. What was also fun was the abundance of outfit changes the night brought, four in total.
The night continued with more choreographed and scream-inducing dance moves by the five One Direction-esque heartthrobs. It seemed more natural and relaxed when the boys stepped down off their solitary platforms and moved freely around the stage together.
Notable songs of the night included “Why Don’t We Just”, “Taking You”, “These Girls”, “Hooked”, “8 Letters”, “Big Plans”, and “Cold in LA”. One of my personal favorite moments of the concert was the band’s mashup of “Taste / Finesse / Lucid Dreams / MIDDLE CHILD / Better Now”, a rare treat as the band mentioned their lack of mashups recently.
The five member band had seemingly the same amount of energy as the entire fan-filled auditorium combined, and that was evident throughout the concert. And while energy is important, I did find myself noticing the songs sounding similar, unable to make clear distinctions over the course of the night.
The band also had a good ratio of songs to banter. Near the end of the night, they took an opportunity to share with the crowd they’d be playing the Grandstand at the Minnesota State Fair on August 23rd, a welcomed announcement to their Minnesota fans!
Whether you’re a tween, teen, or maybe a twenty-something missing the days of One Direction, Why Don’t We has something for you, especially if that something is high-energy, feel good songs.
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