All Time Low: Alex Gaskarth, Jack Barakat, Rian Dawson, Zack Merrick

The noise (screaming) that greets All Time Low is so loud there can be no doubt that watching this band live in the city that spawned the birth of the screaming teenager is quite apt. The sheer level of intensity, heat, passion, anticipation, fainting, hearts racing is if anything at an All Time High… That said, this band deliver on ALL levels, they simply straddle the ‘pop-punk’ genre like collosuss giants, they are the kings, the grandsons of Blink, the sons of FAB and they are creating their own empire and legacy that simply will not and does not get ignored…

We hit the balcony for the later half of their set and from the way the crowd bounces, sings every word and just joins in with the band proves that people here tonight do not just ‘like’ this band… For the majority All Time Low is not just three little words, but a way of life… It’s quite a sight to see, this band make you smile, how is that a bad thing…

They hammer the hits, tell the jokes, play the only game in town, punch after punch as this wave of great songs tramples over you, again and again. They even now have the solo acoustic moment with a hint of KP… No nuts in this band, it’s all done so precisely, so professionally, and there’s little doubt that their next record will be even better than their last. That’s the kind of band they are… Can I pick a fave tune they played? Yeah! All of them, boom, boom, boom… Think you know  All Time Low? Think again… Jj

All Time Low first got together while attending high school in the suburbs of Maryland. In 2005, the band released its debut album, “THE PARTY SCENE,” the success of which led to their signing with Hopeless. The “PUT UP OR SHUT UP” EP arrived in the summer of 2006, mere weeks after the band members’ high school graduation. “SO WRONG, IT’S RIGHT” followed in 2007. Fit to burst with overwhelming singles like “Dear Maria, Count Me In” and “Poppin’ Champagne,” the Matt Squire-produced collection scored major MTV rotation, instantly placing ATL at the forefront of modern pop-punk. The band further sealed its status by touring nearly non-stop, with highlights including multiple Vans Warped Tours, co-headlining the AP Tour 2008, and a series of their own sold-out headline tours, both here and abroad. In December 2008, All Time Low were named “Band of the Year” by Alternative Press, a remarkable achievement that even now feels like something out of a dream. Gaskarth, guitarist Jack Barakat, drummer Rian Dawson, and bassist Zack Merrick have emerged as one of the most popular new bands in recent memory, beloved by an increasingly fervent fan following for their fast-paced and fizzy brand of pop-punk.

Now, with “NOTHING PERSONAL,” the Maryland-based band has exceeded all expectations with a collection of effervescent songs, marked by unstoppable hookiness and a newly discovered knack for exploration and invention. Where other bands might have played it safe by rehashing established hits, All Time Low instead opted to push the envelope by collaborating with a veritable who’s-who of producers, each with their own unique sonic stamp. Unified by singer/guitarist Alex Gaskarth’s clever lyricism, songs like “Weightless” and “Therapy” are marked by a range of diverse musical approaches, all the while retaining the patented All Time Low energy and enthusiasm. “This record was less about doing what the bands we grew up listening to did,” Gaskarth says. “It was more about knowing what we do, developing that sound, but also stemming out, trying new things, and exploring other veins.”

“It’s still all catching up with us,” Gaskarth says. “It was a sort of seamless transition from being nobody to being a band that people wanted to go see. It happens so quickly that you almost don’t realize that it’s happening, it just becomes a blur. Then when you get home and suddenly you’re being recognized in the mall, it takes you aback, because it’s just not something you’ve come to expect.”