The gloom of an Orange County rainstorm couldn’t dampen the spirits of hundreds of fans of The Aces on the “Waiting For You” tour at The House of Blues in Anaheim, California on Feb. 15.
Despite the weather, fans waited outside the venue with no cover from the storm in hopes of securing a spot close to the stage.
From the opening note, the crowd of mostly teens and young adults, were into the band’s new alt-rock style, with a clear nod to bands like The 1975, as a continuous stream of ear-piercing screams punched the air.
Although they strayed from the indie-pop sound of their debut record “When My Heart Felt Volcanic,” it was evident that fans liked what they heard as they sang along throughout the hour-long set.
Frontwoman Cristal Ramirez, dressed in a vintage-inspired outfit featuring baggy leather pants, and a white tank top under an open short sleeve button-up revealed her collection of tattoos displayed on her arms.
Bandmates Katie Henderson, McKenna Petty and Alisa Ramirez wore outfits similar to Cristal Ramirez that incorporated denim and leather pieces.
To embrace the crowd, Cristal Ramirez would dance along the perimeter of the stage and reach her hand out to attendees in the first few rows.
Instead of thrashing in a mosh pit, crowd surfing or stage diving, the crowd reciprocated the band’s energy by dancing to lead single “Volcanic Love” and swaying to the acoustic version of “Hurricane.”
Walking out of the show, I was not captured by the music of The Aces, but I captured by the sense of community they have created with their music.
As the band thanked the audience for coming out, they also acknowledged that they love to tour because they get to see the friendships and community being created at their shows.
Standing beside me a young girl almost burst into tears of joys as the band played their final note, and it solidified the importance of the band in the lives of their fans.
Setlist:
- Put It on the Line
- Stay
- Bad Love
- Touch
- Lovin’ is Bible
- Holiday
- Strong Enough
- Baby Who
- Just Like That
- Last One
- Volcanic Love
- Physical
- Fake Nice
- Waiting for You
- Hurricane
- Stuck