idobi Radio Summer School Tour • Magnolia Park • Stand Atlantic • The Home Team • Scene Queen • Honey Revenge • Letdown. • August 7, 2024 • The Complex
Reviewed and Photographed by Josilyn Wakkuri Lybbert
The Idobi Radio Summer School Tour made a stop at The Complex in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, August 7, as part of its first-ever run across the country. Created by Eric Tobin of Hopeless Records, Michael Kaminsky of KMGMT, and Kevin Lyman, the mastermind behind the Warped Tour, this new tour was designed to help introduce up-and-coming artists to audiences nationwide! The tour featured six bands in the punk rock/pop genre including Letdown, Honey Revenge, Scene Queen, Stand Atlantic, The Home Team, and Magnolia Park.
When I arrived to the venue, I had unfortunately missed Letdown, and about half of Honey Revenge’s set. But, it didn’t take long to catch on that the crowd was thoroughly entertained! The indie pop rock band from Los Angeles made up of members Devin Papadol and Donovan Lloyd, were killing it up on stage! Their high energy radiated off stage throughout the audience, and fans could be seen dancing and jumping, loving every second of the set! I even spotted some members of the crowd air drumming along to the rocking tunes! Songs, “Rerun,” “Are You Impressed,” and, “Airhead,” were all fun and upbeat, and each has several million streams on Spotify!
I noticed that a few times during these songs, people would be helped over the barricade. At most of the shows I’ve been to, that is typically done in the case of a medical emergency. But at this show, people came running back into the crowd smiling and dancing – so I quickly realized, they’d just been crowd surfing!
In between sets, I took time to explore the venue’s setup. There were several merch stands set up for the six bands. There were always long lines of fans waiting to meet some of the various artists at said merch stands! Some even stayed in line during ongoing sets to save their spot for when an artist or merch seller returned! There were photo opportunities set up inside, as well as outside. People (myself included) really utilized the outdoor space to get a breath of fresh air. It was nice to have the option as it was very hot inside the venue! I also found the differing fluctuations of the crowd to be interesting.
Typically, when I first arrive at a concert, the crowd is at its smallest that I’ll see it for the night, but the numbers ebbed and flowed throughout the evening. For one set, the room would be almost full, then not as full for another. Then it would fill up again for a set or two before dwindling back down again. Not only were the numbers diverse, but so were the ages of those in attendance! There was a handful of very small children amongst the larger group of teens, young adults, and beyond!
Scene Queen
Scene Queen was the second artist’s set of the night that I was able to watch! Dressed head to toe in pink with a stage decorated to match, she was energetic and interactive with the crowd from the second her portion of the show started, never staying in one place for long as she bounced back and forth across the stage. Scene Queen mentioned that she was grateful to be performing in Salt Lake City because there had been other instances in the past where she was supposed to perform in Salt Lake City, but had been too sick to do so.
Many of Scene Queen’s songs shared themes of feminism and raunchiness, which she wholeheartedly owned and commented on in between songs. She also mentioned that it was her and her boyfriend, Jake Fleming’s one year anniversary. She wrote a sweet message for him that she read aloud, and once it was through, Jake surprised her on stage with a bouquet of flowers for her! A few songs after that, he joined her on stage to sing, “Barbie & Ken!” Scene Queen ended her set with, “Pink Rover,” which is her highest-streamed song on Spotify at over twenty-five million streams!
Stand Atlantic
Stand Atlantic, hailing from Sydney, Australia, was next! The band, made up of members Bonnie Fraser, David Potter, Miki Rich, and Jonno Panichi, kicked off their set with, “WARZ0NE,” instantly getting the crowd hyped. Bonnie, the lead singer’s voice was versatile and effortlessly switched from smooth sounding to more “screamo” style. A highlight of the set was a moment when they had asked for the crowd to kick the energy up a notch, and then instructed everyone to sit down, only to have them jump up together at the chorus. It was a lot of fun to watch and definitely brought up the energy in the atmosphere!
At one point, the band paused the show to help someone in the crowd, handling it with care and a bit of humor, saying that the torches (flashlights) were a great attention grabber. After the medical issue was resolved, Bonnie joked that she didn’t know what to do next, so the crowd got to choose if the band started their song over or skipped to the next one! They wrapped up their portion of the show with “deathwish,” leaving everyone pumped from rocking music they’d just witnessed!
The Home Team
The Home Team, the band with Seattle roots, were preceded on stage by an elephant and a rat mascot, which were a pretty fun addition to the shows! Brian Butcher, John Baran, Ryne Olson, and Daniel Matson joined the critters on stage to start their set! Their enthusiasm was through the roof as they started their show with, “Brag.” Man, how these guys could get air! While they were singing, and sometimes screaming, the band members could often be seen jumping at impressive heights as well as propelling some high kicks into the mix! I also appreciated that during some of the setlist, the lyrics for the song being played would be displayed on the screens one stage. I think that’s a really cool way to encourage and help with crowd participation!
The Home Team also spent some time sharing about their new album The Crucible of Life. Many of the songs they played, such as, “Love & Co.,” “Roomates,” and, “Turn You Off,” were a part of that new album!
Magnolia Park
Magnolia Park was the final band of the idobi Radio Summer School Tour! Their talent shined through as soon as the first beat dropped with the song, “Misfits.” Lead singer, Joshua Roberts’ vocals packed quite a powerful punch! It never faltered, even in the trickiest parts of songs! The band as a whole brought a fun, high-energy vibe to their set, especially with “Addison Rae,” where the crowd couldn’t stop clapping and jumping along. The band also made a sweet shoutout to one of the little ones they spotted in the audience, which added a personal touch to the night. The graphics on the screens synced with each song which created a nice cohesive visual along with the music! The band’s somewhat synchronized, casual moves were fun to watch as well! Magnolia Park ended the over five-hour night with, “Feel Something!”
The idobi Radio Summer School Tour’s stop at The Complex in Salt Lake City was a night to remember. Each band brought something unique, from Honey Revenge’s infectious energy to Magnolia Park’s powerful finish, and everything in between! The crowd was engaged, the music was top-notch, and the atmosphere was electric. By the end of the night, it was clear that these bands are ones to watch!