Upon entering the outdoor venue of Jannus Live for a last-minute sold-out date of Waterparks’ The Property Tour, it was hard not to be overwhelmed by the color red. Everywhere you turned, there was a fan with dyed red hair. Or a fan sporting a red tour hoodie (even though it was 88 degrees outside). Or a fan rocking red makeup. Some fans had even picked up the red wigs that were being sold at the merch booth. To a stranger, this may have been bizarre. To someone who knows and loves the band, this is home.
In April, Waterparks released their fifth studio album, Intellectual Property, ushering in a new color to represent this chapter. Since they formed over ten years ago, Waterparks have selected a unique hue to go along with each new album cycle. For their debut album, the color was blue, and frontman Awsten Knight dyed his hair blue to match. Over the years, fans have watched as Awsten’s head went from blue to purple to green to multi-colored to red, and they have always dyed their hair the same color in solidarity. After spending the past month and a half dissecting the album and putting together the perfect red look, Waterparks fans in St. Petersburg were finally able to get together and celebrate this era.
Taking the stage first was alt-pop artist Sophie Powers. Last year, Sophie released her debut EP, Red In Revenge, introducing listeners to her feisty and dreamy world. While she performed songs from the project, such as “Breakup on the Weekend,” “U Love It,” and “Life Goes On!!,” she engaged with the crowd and made sure they were having a good time. Sophie talked to them as if they were her friends, pointing out signs they made or cheering for the ones going through heartbreak, and encouraged them to form mosh pits or sing along. After her final song, “GREED,” the venue went wild, everyone showing that they would love for Sophie to come back to St. Petersburg any time.
The sun started going down during pop rock band Hunny, who came on after Sophie. Determined to keep the crowd’s energy up, frontman Jason Yarger interacted with them as much as possible. He was selling each song with his moves, dancing around to favorites like “Vowels (and the Importance of Being Me” or their new single “action 🡪 reaction,” and gesturing for the fans to get involved. The crowd got louder as the set went on, their excitement reaching a new high when Jason came down from the stage and made his way over to them. After singing to those positioned right at the barricade, he jumped into the sea of fans and closed the set like a legend.
Right before Waterparks took the stage, it rained. With the venue being outside, everyone who was not in a sheltered balcony area got drenched. But did they care? Absolutely not. A little rain was not going to stop fans from enjoying the moment, and they continued to actively sing along to the waiting music that played overhead, hitting all the notes in “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Hey There Delilah” and “Don’t Stop Believin’” like professionals.
The rain didn’t prevent Waterparks from doing their thing either, continuing on with a dynamic set as planned. They opened with “St*rfucker,” which is also the opening track on their new album, and then went into a slew of fan favorites from each album. We got to hear classics like “Stupid For You,” “Royal” and “Crave,” which mixed nicely with newer jams like “War Crimes,” “Ritual,” and “Brainwashed.” For each song, the graphics behind the band changed to pictures of the band members or of images that went along with the lyrics, making it an immersive experience. In between songs, Awsten made everyone feel welcome, as he read fan signs, wore flags or sunglasses that were thrown onto the stage, and thanked everyone for standing out in the rain when they easily could have left. Before they played “Closer,” he made it a point to address those who bought the album and took the time out to listen. He mentioned that it can be “weird” to put something out into the world, so he is grateful that the fans exist and are able to connect. After closing out the set with “A Night Out On Earth,” Waterparks left the stage briefly, only to come back and properly close with a few more songs – they couldn’t leave before playing “Turbulent,” right?
Overall, Waterparks proved why each date of this tour was almost completely sold-out. Their sets get better and better every time they tour, and fans know that they are in for a treat when they attend. It was amazing to see such unity in the crowd, from the way people were dressed to the way they sang. It was truly a special evening, and those who have yet to witness these shows have no idea what is coming.
WATERPARKS
SOPHIE POWERS
HUNNY
Photos + Review by Christine Sloman | Exclusively for Music, Why Not!
