Review by Rebekkah Dayon | Photography by Shannon Daly
On their east coast tour for the spring, The Driver Era, which consists of brothers Ross and Rocky Lynch, made a stop at Wellmont Theater in Montclair on April 25, 2024, for a sold-out show! As a major fan of The Driver Era, I was extremely excited to be able to see them for the third time.
I saw them at Terminal 5 and Pier 17 where both concerts were absolutely electric. When I first arrived at The Wellmont, the long line going around for blocks showed that it was bound to be a good night.
I was not sure if there was going to be an opening act that night, but I was pleasantly surprised when the extremely talented Valé came on stage and captivated my attention.
Valé is a Colombian pop musician who combines a traditional Latin sound with her own girly-pop twist. She was such a delight to watch perform! She was fun, quirky, and clearly very passionate about what she does, which translates to the audience.
With switch-ups in sound, she kept the audience on their toes, wanting more from her. My personal favorite from her was “lo tengo mal” which translates to “he’s down bad” and I think everyone had it bad for Valé that night.
With amazing vocals, a luring aura, and a great stage presence, I loved her performance from start to finish. Her upcoming EP debuts in August, and I for one am I’m very excited to see what she does next in her career which hopefully includes a solo tour!
With a great set, Valé was able to set the vibe for the main event.
The stage was large and colorfully lit, and The Driver Era created an energy beyond question that was felt throughout the crowd. Never in my life have I heard screams that loud for a band just as they walked out onto the stage. With a presence so undeniable, they were confident and ready to give a great show.
Right out of the gate, the first three songs “Back To You,” “Get Off My Phone,” their latest single, and “Feel You Now.” Ross and Rocky showed that they are true performers with great stage presence, and who genuinely want to be out there, something hard to find nowadays.
As somebody who has already gone to two concerts of theirs, and has listened to all their music countless times, somehow they are still able to make the songs I’ve heard over and over again feel like I am listening to them for the first time.
The rawness of their voices mixed with the intense instrumentals that make their songs so unique sounds even better live. Every one of their song choices created a roller coaster of a concert that I was able to enjoy.
Their setlist for this concert was anything but expected. “Welcome to the End of Your Life” off of their debut album X,which they they do not play often, was probably the highlight of the concert. They even gave shoutouts to their previous eras in Disney Channel and R5 with classics like “On my Own” and “All Night.” It’s refreshing to see artists give credit to their journey of how they got to where they are.
Overall, out of all the Driver Era concerts I’ve been to, this setlist really stood out to me. Ross and Rocky were able to successfully bounce back and forth from alt-rock to pop effortlessly to create a dynamic show.
I could honestly go on forever about how great The Driver Era’s music is and how good of performers they are, but I don’t have enough pages to do so.
Being a jack of all trades, musicians, singers, writers, and producers, The Driver Era has been my favorite artist since 2019, and for good reason. I hope they gain respect and acknowledgment for their craft as they are not just Disney Channel child stars anymore, but serious musicians who truly understand what it means to put on a great show and grow as artists. I loved their show in Montclair at the Wellmont and I hope The Driver Era comes back soon!
