Class was certainly in session at Idobi Radio Summer School’s Charlotte, North Carolina show on July 23rd at The Fillmore.
The tour offers yet another summer festival-style experience with the added benefit of a fresh new lineup and an interesting Warped Tour-esque spin— the four headlining bands rotate set times every night. Headliners Stand Atlantic, Magnolia Park, Scene Queen, and The Home Team don’t hint at what time they will play, leaving room for a surprise each day. Openers Letdown. and Honey Revenge offer unique sets to warm up the crowd as well.
In a venue that holds 2000 people, Charlotte’s show was crowded and ready even right at the start of the night. Letdown. took to the stage first. A project created by singer Blake Coddington, Letdown. has amassed a Tiktok following through posting clips of heartfelt and personal songs. In a previous interview, Coddington mentioned how he was itching to tour and now, has gotten the opportunity in such a large way— opening every night of the latest and greatest summer tour. Kicking off the night with “Karma”, a song off of the 2023 EP Crying In The Shower, Letdown. really was the perfect addition to this tour.
The crowd was positively buzzing for the second band of the night— Honey Revenge. As a band that has been consistently touring with seemingly no breaks for over a year now, they have absolutely mastered their stage presence. Singer Devin Papadol is breathtaking to watch. Her confidence shines through as she sings her heart out. During “Worst Apology”, Devin jumped down from the stage and joined the crowd. Fans huddled around her excitedly and danced with her. When she made it back to the stage, she picked up the rest of the song with ease. Guitarist Donny Lloyd was all smiles during the entire set. They are a powerhouse to watch as they jump around the stage, never dropping the happiness that clearly shined through as they played. Honey Revenge has become easily one of the most fun bands to watch live. Not to mention, their growth as musicians and performers is insanely impressive. They are absolutely not a band you’d want to miss on this tour.
Scene Queen was up next. As a rising artist, she has made a statement with her music, calling out negative behaviors in the scene and creating a safe space for women and non-men. A highlight of her set was “Climax”, a song she stated was written about her relationship with In Her Own Words singer Joey Fleming. Phone flashlights lit up the room and really added to the emotion presented in the lyrics. To follow up such a heartfelt song, Scene Queen played fan favorite “Barbie & Ken.” While Set It Off’s Cody Carson features in the recorded version, Scene Queen’s boyfriend took the stage instead. Watching the two of them perform together was such a delight and brought a different element to an already theatrical and over-the-top song. Scene Queen ended her set with “Pink Rover” which is her most streamed song— with over 25 million listens on Spotify. The entire crowd was screaming along to every word, making it the right way to end a set for sure.
As the night unfolded, fans were able to piece together the rest of the lineup and set times. Stand Atlantic took the stage . The band played a healthy mix of songs that range through their discography. “Hate Me Sometimes” off their 2020 album Pink Elephant and “Lavender Bones” from 2018’s Skinny Dipping were highlights for fans that have been around for a while. Stand Atlantic’s new album Was Here releases on August 23rd— making the Charlotte show exactly one month until the album drops. With that in mind, the band played multiple songs that have come out as singles from the album such as “CRIMINAL” and “WARZ0NE”. A personal favorite, and one that the crowd seemed to love as well, is “GIRLS” which was absolutely electric live. Singer Bonnie Fraser is so effortlessly cool on stage making Stand Atlantic’s set one of the best of the night.
Hailing from Florida, Magnolia Park has made a name for themselves by defying genre lines and layering different styles over catchy, pop punk lyrics. They have headlined in Charlotte before. Last year, they played a venue roughly half the size of The Fillmore, but this time, it was obvious that they are made for larger stages. From the moment they stepped on stage, the crowd was roaring. At times, singer Joshua Roberts could barely be heard over fans singing along. The band started with “Misfits” and ended with “Feel Something”— both of which are popular fan favorites. Magnolia Park have really carved out a place for themselves in the scene as a consistent live band.
The Home Team ended the night with an absolutely electric performance— starting with “Brag”, a single from their new album The Crucible of Life. With said album only being out for about a week, the band sprinkled in a few new songs such as “Love & Co.” and “Turn You Off” that fans impressively sang along to. They also played fan favorites “Right Through Me”, “Move It or Lose It”, and “Watching All Your Friends Get Rich”. The Home Team is such a fun live band. Their performance just gets better and better as they gain more experience. The Home Team was the perfect way to end a fantastic night.
The Summer School Tour is truly a unique summer tour option. It offers up and coming bands a chance to shine while providing a fun twist of set time changes. The lineup’s diversity does not go unnoticed either and is certainly welcomed. Every single band goes to their merch seemingly every night— they all did in Charlotte— to meet fans for free. The atmosphere was so bright and electric. Do not miss a chance to see this tour!
