CONCERT REVIEW: Waterparks put on an amazing show
Concert at Ace of Spaces was part of band’s Property Tour
Geoff Wigington, Otto Wood, Insider staff writer Rosienelly Salguero and Awsten Knight during the pre-concert meet-and-greet.
May 15, 2023
The band Waterparks performed on April 29 at Ace of Spades in Sacramento and it was the second night of The Property Tour.
Lead singer Awsten Knight tweeted after the show: “Sacramento one of my favorite shows in a very long time.”
It was a perfect punk-style concert with lots of mosh pits and crowd surfing – although the venue does not allow any crowd surfing, the crowd did it anyway.
My friends and I got in line for the show a couple hours before the 5 p.m. start of the meet-and-greet. While in line I was given a cute star-shaped piece of paper that was part of a fan project called “STARS FOR PARX.” It had instructions on it to shine your phone flashlight through the paper while the band performed the song “BRAINWASHED.”
Waterparks did their meet-and-greet for fans who paid for the VIP pass. I have been listening to Waterparks since I was 14 and I have seen them perform live three times before this show. However, this was my first time to get a VIP pass and meet the band.
The meet-and-greet was well organized, and the band members were very kind. After I greeted them, I chatted with them for a minute and then their photographer Jawn Rocha took our photo, which was included in the VIP package. Then I grabbed my poster which was signed by all three members of the band and went to secure my spot in the crowd.
The fans with VIP passes were allowed to ask questions in a Q&A with the band right before the people with general admission tickets were let inside the venue.
Prior to Waterparks’ performance there were two opening bands – Daisy Grenade and HUNNY. They both put on a great show and had a lot of energy on stage.
Then the band came out onto the stage around 8:50 p.m., and Knight came out with big red stars drawn in makeup on his eyes. The band began their performance with their song, “ST*RFUCKER,” which is off of their new album, “Intellectual Property,” which was released on April 14.
The crowd screamed with excitement and sang the lyrics of the song. Then the band played “Numb,” and the crowd jumped to the beat.
Then Waterparks played some songs from their older albums which included “Rare,” “Stupid for You” and “Crave.”
After the song “Stupid for You,” a fan gifted the lead singer a plush toy rat and they said it’s name is Fergus which was very funny.
The song “Crave” is off of the band’s 2016 EP “Cluster,” and the crowd was hyped because it’s one of Waterparks’ older songs. On the screen in the background of their stage setup during, “Crave,” there were animated ghosts being displayed that were reminiscent of the ghosts on the cover of the “Cluster” EP.
Later in the band’s setlist, they played the songs “Telephone” and “Ritual.” “Telephone” is one of my favorite songs, and it was used in a scene in the Netflix show “Heartstopper.”
During “Ritual,” people started opening mosh pits and crowd surfing, which was a lot of fun. When this song started, I grabbed my friend’s hand and dragged her into the mosh pit with me.
After a couple more songs, the band played “CLOSER” which is a slower song so the majority of the crowd used their phone flashlights and waved their arms.
Afterward, the band played their song “A NIGHT OUT ON EARTH.” This song is my favorite song on their new album, “Intellectual Property.” It was amazing hearing the band perform it live – they are very energetic performers.
Then for the encore they performed their songs “REAL SUPER DARK,” “Turbulent” and “FUNERAL GRAY.” While the band performed “REAL SUPER DARK,” the lights on the stage were all red, which looked very cool.
During both “Turbulent” and “FUNERAL GRAY,” I really felt that the crowd gave all of their energy, and it was such an amazing experience.
Although my friends and I were extremely exhausted after the show, we were very happy to have experienced a great show by the band that was full of energy and good vibes. Every single time I have seen Waterparks perform, it is always an awesome show. This show was no exception, and my friends and I will definitely be attending the next show the band plays in the area.
