I recently got to photograph Yungblud at Pier Six Pavilion in Baltimore, Maryland. It was my first time to the venue itself, and it’s kind of neat. One of the employees referred to it as a “boutique pavilion”—and the moniker is quite fitting—I’d say it’s about a third of the size of the other pavilions in the DMV area, and it’s smack-dab in the middle of the Baltimore Harbor area and is, basically, surrounded by water on three sides. It was a decent day weather-wise, except for a smoky haze hanging over the harbor from the Canadian wildfires.
Sophie Powers
I was pleasantly surprised with Sophie Powers, who I’d not heard of before. Only 18 years old, she’s got a kind of poppy, alterna-emo kind of thing going…with electro-pop influences supplementing her sound. It looks like her song “Nosebleed” went through rounds on TikTok before she put together the official music video. Her other videos seem to have heavy auto-tune…maybe for effect? But, honestly, she doesn’t really need it. I really liked her live performance. In fact, I was pretty impressed with her cover of “Heart-shaped Box” (Nirvana)…so much that I actually stopped mid-conversation with a fellow photographer to move to get a closer look.
The Regrettes
The Regrettes were stellar performers as well. Lydia Night definitely stood out—being front-woman of the band, as well as having toured a majority of her years (and she’s only 22!), that stage experience shone through. With happy and sad faces drawn on her cheeks, Lydia’s own face ran through a series of emotions and expressions as she sang her way through the setlist. Drew Thomsen (drums), Genessa Gariano (guitar), and Brooke Dickson (bass) rounded out the band’s snappy sound. Finding a flow that further evolved during the pandemic, it emerged as their latest record Further Joy.
At one point during the performance, Lydia encouraged the audience to get into a circle pit, but no one was really acting on the suggestion. (I’m not sure if it was because it was a younger generation that just didn’t know how, or if people aren’t really into that these days? Ironically, there were signs posted at the venue to warn that moshing was at your own risk.) So, Lydia made her way from the stage into the general admission pit and got into the center and had the (mostly) kids crouch down and then pop up in time to the song.
Yungblud
For those of you not familiar with Yungblud, his given name is Dominic “Dom” Richard Harrison. He began his rise in popularity in 2019, a year after his album “21st Century Liability” and single “King Charles” came out. (In an interview, he’d said his first EP was written in 3 days.) I’d first heard of him at the Warped Tour date in Maryland as “one to watch.” His sound has changed a bit from his early career, evolving into a smooth combination of alternative/indie/emo/pop-punk.
And he’s definitely had a surge in popularity since the two previous dates I’d seen him. I feel like his lyrics are just very relatable for his fans; he’s passionate in his writing, penning what he feels to convey messages of connection, being misunderstood, and being true to yourself. He’s got collaborations galore: Dan Reynolds (Imagine Dragons), Travis Barker (Blink-182, The Transplants), Avril Lavigne, and more.
Additionally, he is highly involved as an advocate for worthy causes, including mental health (as he, himself, has dealt with ADHD, negative life experiences, and personal issues).
When Yungblud took the stage, he was his usual frenetic self, running back and forth across the stage, making sure his fans got fair exposure and access. Full of adorable, cheeky grins and plenty of appreciation towards his audience, he declared, “We come over from the United Kingdom, and we have fucking family in Baltimore!”
There was a huge amount of audience participation; when asked to scream, they screamed, and when he then asked if they’d boo, of course, they did—to which he jokingly teased them. He later asked them to jump along with his song but then immediately chastised people in the back of the venue, saying, “You cheeky monkeys! I thought you said you were going to jump!” Once he got them all jumping, he proclaimed, “You’ve all shown me you can jump. Are you fucking warm, baby?!”
A little further into the show, Yungblud mentioned the Warped Tour. When he took a poll of how many of the crowd were first-timers, a majority of the fans yelled and/or raised their hands. This isn’t too surprising, as two (out off three) of his studio albums had been released during the pandemic. He also had his own YouTube channel during the pandemic
Even though the majority of his wardrobe is black with bits of pink thrown in, the guy is a ray of sunshine; add in that infectious, toothy grin…and there’s no stopping him. He seems to genuinely care for his fans, and pulled a few up onstage. Whether it was to tell a fan named Rachel that she had a great outfit while having her pick the next song, or Jensen (wearing the popular black and white stripes that Yungblud typically sports) who was instructed to have a screaming match with the crowd to see who was louder, Yungblud made sure to fully interact with his fans, bestowing hugs and smiles.
For the encore, he played his latest release “Lowlife,” which had a lot of the fans singing along. Rounding out his performance with the Oasis-reminiscent “Loner,” he invited two pint-size brothers wearing Yungblud merch to come onstage to jump around and play with the tambourine (which the little guy got to keep).
To close the show, Yungblud announced that he’d be in the area near the tour buses and that fans should stop by to say hello. The fenced in was surrounded by people as I exited the venue. I think those that had never seen Yungblud before walked away with a new appreciation for the guy and his talent.
Setlist
superdeadfriends
The Funeral
Tissues
parents
Doctor Doctor
strawberry lipstick
fleabag
California (fan vote over Medication)
Anarchist
Kill Somebody (acoustic)
Sweet Heroine (acoustic)
Sex Not Violence
I Think I’m OKAY (Machine Gun Kelly cover)
hope for the underrated youth
Encore:
Lowlife
Loner