Paramore
Oct. 27 — Tabernacle

It’s extremely fitting that paramour means “for love” in French, because after seeing Paramore in concert, it’s undeniable that the band loves what they do. From the first to the last song, Paramore, and especially lead vocalist Hayley Williams, owned the stage at their Oct. 27 show at the Tabernacle with relentless enthusiasm.

The Nashville-based rock band stormed onto the stage with Williams at the head, and as soon as she opened her mouth, her expressive energy captured the spirit of the sold-out audience. Her passionate voice made every lyric drip with emotion, and she thrashed and stomped around the stage for the entire hour-long performance.

It’s easy to understand why Williams, with her sweet voice and punky attitude, is the frontrunner of Paramore. Her excitement was contagious — as she addressed the audience between songs, her overwhelming joy often left her tongue-tied, and she came across as quirky and genuine.

Williams’ passion shined through most when she was interacting with her fans. Every one of her movements served to engage the audience in some way, and even when she held the microphone out so that the audience could sing, she couldn’t resist singing the words along with the same expressiveness as if she were audible.

Williams’ bandmates, bassist Jeremy Davis and guitarist Taylor York, came close to matching the girl in terms of energy and enthusiasm. As these two kicked and head-banged their way around the stage, they fed off the vibes of the audience so that their performance only got more intense with every song they played.

However, drummer Zac Farro was too absorbed in his own instrument to engage the audience or the other band members, and lead guitarist Josh Farro was a disappointment, standing rigid for almost the entire show.

By Paramore’s third song, “That’s What You Get,” the crowd was thumping and pulsating to the beat, vigorously pumping their fists in the air. Older hits like “Here We Go Again” elicited fervor from the crowd, but songs off of their newest album, Brand New Eyes, were also greeted with cheers and whoops, and many of the fans knew all the lyrics, despite the fact that the CD was released less than a month ago.

When the band announced that they were done only 45 minutes into the set, grumbles could be heard from the crowd. Fortunately, Paramore played another five songs, including “Misery Business,” and ended with “Brick by Boring Brick,” and left the audience satiated.

Williams, and the rest of the band, thrust their impassioned energy and delight onto the crowd so much so that, at least for 75 minutes, no one was hungry for love.

— Contact Kari Leibowitz.

Hanson
Oct. 28 — Tabernacle

“What’s on your mind? Hanson?” asked Forrest Kline, lead singer and guitarist of Hellogoodbye, as the powerpop band and co-headliner Hanson kicked off the night at the Tabernacle on Wednesday. The concert was the 22nd stop of the bands’ Use Your Sole tour, which benefits the fight against poverty in Africa by hosting a one-mile-long barefoot walk before each show.

Bands Sherwood and Steel Train opened the concert with palpable enthusiasm. The two groups complemented their indie-rock sounds with dramatic and endearing — if slightly crazy — dance moves. Later, Hellogoodbye surprised concertgoers with new songs from the band’s untitled upcoming album and performed fresh takes on old fan favorites like “Here in Your Arms.”

The crowd radiated anticipation until the tour’s true star, Hanson, launched into their opening song, “Where’s the Love,” one hour after the concert began.
The guys followed with “Georgia,” a breezy and beautiful song that hinges on the perfect duet of guitar and piano and perfectly showcases the soft but powerful voices of the Hanson brothers. After reviving old hits like “Running Man,” “Something Go Round,” “Been There Before” and other Hanson classics, the band played new tracks from their recently released EP Stand Up Stand Up. Although these songs debuted only a month ago, the crowd had no difficulty singing along.

Though these new songs stray from Hanson’s usual pop-rock style, the difference did not dampen concertgoers’ fervor. The acoustic sounds provided a welcome refrain from the pounding drums and rollicking electric guitars of earlier songs. Fans were charmed by the brothers’ magnetic voices, and bopped along with their every line.

Although the pairing of Hanson and Hellogoodbye initially seems odd, when the bands performed an encore of “Gimme Some Lovin’” together, it was easy to see why these two strikingly different bands teamed up for a national tour — and a good cause.

Together, the guys have raised enough money to provide hundreds of shoes through the tour’s partnership with TOMS Shoes.

— Contact Joy Chen>.