Photos and Review By Ryan Renger
Ah-ah-ah-oh, the familiar sound of many childhoods. Whether you grew up when the Big Time Rush show was just premiering or binged it many years later, the boys that all have grown to love are back and better than ever. Reuniting during the pandemic, BTR have come together, to the chagrin of many of their die-hard fans. Coming off the recent release of their newest album, Another Life, which was the first post-TV show, BTR was at the tail end of their Can't Get Enough tour when they made a stop in Wheatland, California.
As many fans made their way to their seats, Jax, a TikTok star and great singer-songwriter, made her way to the stage. A huge proponent of woman empowerment, Jax's songs resonated well with the majority female audience that filled the Toyota Amphitheater. Her set helped light a fire under the crowd, with everyone jumping off their feet as soon as 90s Kids started playing. Accompanied by just a guitarist and drummer, Jax plays on a very raw and minimalist sound that works exceptionally well to show her songwriting's depths. Her set continued with a great song for crowd participation, Cinderella Snapped, and a great cover of Teenage Dirtbag. Fans stayed engaged with Jax, listening to every word she said as if they went to the soul of every listener. Her set ended with an empowerment anthem, Victoria's Secret, which was written for a 10-year-old that she babysits, to tell her, and all of the other little girls listening, that societal norms don't need to be followed. When she walked off stage, fans were screaming for more. It is obvious that Jax has a long career ahead of her!
Up on stage next, another three-lettered name full of energy, Max. Jumping across the stage, letting everyone know he isn't messing around, Max jumped right into Love Me Less. The lifelong musician who started with Nickelodeon is a ball of energy who knows how to get the crowd going. Max is no stranger to opening for major acts like Big Time Rush; he has previously played as a warm-up for the likes of Fall Out Boy, Wiz Khalifa, as well as Big Time Rush on their last tour. His set continued with great songs like Acid Dreams and Blueberry Eyes. It was awesome to see the interaction that he had with the audience. Another great part of Max's set was his backing band, especially his exceptional saxophone player. Even though Max had the more engaged fan base, Jax did put on a better sound; however, both warmed the crowd up nicely for the closing act of the night.
Emerging from a rising platform under the shadows of the back of the stage, Carlos, Logan, Kendall, and James made their appearance felt. The screams from the thousands of fans deafened. The first song from the set is a dose of new music as they opened with Can't Get Enough. Although it is a new song, nobody could tell, as every fan in attendance was screaming along at full volume with every lyric repeated in unison. Up next, the boys decided to throw it back to their second album; along with the start of Elevate came the real start of the excitement, with all four of the guys coming to the front of the stage and engaging directly with the lucky few who could be in the front row. Act 1 of the show ended masterfully with Weekends before the band transitioned into stripped-down versions of songs like Any Kind of Guy and Ask You Tonight. The passionate vocals in these acoustics songs resonated through the hundreds of speakers and into the ears of the Rushers. The energy was brought back to full force with BTR playing even more of their hits like Love Me, Love Me, Nothing Even Matters, and a real treat for four special ladies who joined each guy on stage as one of their Worldwide girls. It must be a dream for every fan to have their heart serenaded by the sweet and sultry voices during arguably one of the most popular BTR songs. Even this late into the set, the energy was not stopping. The crowd stayed on their feet throughout and even got a huge boost of excitement when confetti fell on the crowd and the boys rushed the crowd and made their way through to every part of the amphitheater. A three-song encore ended the night with fans being sent home happy with a rousing rendition of 'Till I Forget About You. Although the tour is over now, it is certain that with the popularity of the last two tours as well as the new album, there will be plenty of new songs and shows!
Check out more photos from the night here!
Comments