Story and Photos: Haley Mullenix
“We have to go!” Is what my roommate said to me just a few weeks ago, and before I knew it we were making the two hour trek from Kansas City to Omaha (4/11/24) to see The Driver Era! If you grew up on Disney Channel and you’re in your twenties, you definitely know The Driver Era, and if not the band, you for sure know the lead singer Ross Lynch who starred in Austin and Ally, and Teen Beach Movie. You might have even caught him playing a young Jeffery Dahmer in My Friend Dahmer! Ross has quite the resume, and after switching focus from R5 (his former band with his brothers) to the duo that is The Driver Era with his brother Rocky his music career has really taken off!
Just this month they started their self-titled tour, featuring Valé, a 20 year old singer-songwriter born and raised in Columbia. This is her first tour ever, and from the looks of it The Driver Era fans are loving her! Chanting her name, singing along and just being hype for her presence overall. Her music was a VIBE ! Columbian inspired dance beats, and catchy lyrics, like her song “Lo Tengo Mal” which I’ve already added to my ‘liked’ songs on Spotify. At just 20 years old, she already has amazing stage presence and knows how to get a crowd amped up. Her set was incredibly entertaining and I can’t wait to see where she goes from here!
We were escorted to and from the photo pit and as we made our way back for The Driver Era, we passed some tour crew who yelled, “Get ready for some high pitch screaming!” The lights went out and what felt like 5 seconds later the music started, the band was on, and the screaming was so intense behind me I turned around! These girls were so excited, it was honestly incredible. Ross has blown up on Tik Tok for his stage presence being a bit…saucy? So I was a bit concerned if some of the folks in the crowd would be alright once he took his shirt off, to which the band's touring bassist said, “Hey, if you’ve got it, flaunt it!”
This crowd is the biggest the band has played for so far on this tour so I'm sure it was a welcomed and even reciprocated excitement. Ross came on with an energy similar to what I’ve seen at more rock shows, headbanging and thrashing around, it was a fun change to see from his acting days. Rocky, the other half and guitarist for the band, sang a song as the night went on, and soon the crowd was cheering for an encore. The band ended up playing a song from Ross’s time on Disney, “On My Own” from Teen Beach Movie, and of course the crowd knew every word. It was a great time overall, and worth the day trip up to Omaha!
The staff at Steelhouse were some of the nicest venue staff I’ve ever encountered, so that experience with the fun music and energy from the audience made for a spectacular evening!
Huge thanks to The Steelhouse and The Driver Era management for photo access!
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The Driver Era
