Boys Like Girls Bring 'Soundtrack of Your Life' to Tampa

By Erin Lee

Photo By Erin Lee

Boys Like Girls celebrated two milestone album anniversaries at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tampa, Florida on Wednesday night.

2009’s Love Drunk is was released fifteen years ago, and the band kicked off the night playing this album all the way through first. 

The stage set was a stack of television screens flickering with images and sound bites, setting the tone to turn back the clock. 

The boys took the stage one by one as they always do: bassist Gregory James and guitarist Jamel Hawke stepping onto their respective platforms, singer Martin Johnson front and center, and John Keefe behind the drum kit.

“Love Drunk” got the crowd up and dancing from the beginning of the set.

Each member has charisma and charm,  gesturing to the crowd to participate and inviting us into their world. Throughout the evening, Johnson enthused how happy he was that after twenty years, the audience was still showing up to support the band and their music.

I am a newer fan, only having done a deep dive into the band’s discography over the last couple of years. 

The catchy songs and infectious live performances made it easy for me to see how they’ve captured and held such a devoted fan base over the decades, and I now count myself among them.

As this was an album anniversary nostalgia show targeted at my fellow millennials, Martin made sure to paint a picture for us. There was no shortage of MySpace and Napster references, and even an iPod Nano mention! The early to mid aughts were good to Boys Like Girls, and celebrating two albums from their catalog made for a fun trip down memory lane for many of us.

A brief intermission gave us a chance to regroup before BLG began the play through for their self titled 2006 album.

A mostly acoustic rendition of “Thunder” filled the venue beautifully, while “Dance Hall Drug” had me dancing in the risers with my bestie.

The band wrapped the show with a poignant rendition of “Holiday,” someone in the front had requested be dedicated to her mother and Martin obliged.  

“The Great Escape/Love Drunk” reprise at the end of the show saw the crowd go absolutely feral, singing and shouting back at the band. 

It was a memorable night of fun and friendship. Watching the guys interact with one another and their fans made for a warm hearted evening. 

Photos by Erin Lee: