Is Chapman University in its Driver Era?

Musical duo The Driver Era, which consists of brothers Ross and Rocky Lynch, put on an electric performance at Chapman University for the University Program Board’s Spring concert on April 7. Photos by EMILY PARIS, photo editor

Although watching a concert from the outskirts of the venue might seem disappointing to some, freshman public relations and advertising major Kayla Levin and freshman Dylan Limp made the most out of their situation. 

As they squinted their eyes to make out the best picture on stage, their friend who did get a ticket, Yasmine Admit, a freshman writing for film and television major, caught their attention from just inside the venue. 

After a few minutes of conspiring to figure out if they could get in to buy shirts, Admit rushed over to the merchandise table where she helped her friends with hilarious hand signals like contorting her hands to say “XL” or “L” to try and grab all the correct sizes of Driver Era t-shirts in order to commemorate their outskirt concert experience.

As the brothers stepped on stage, red and white strobe lights danced around, creating silhouettes of the boys as they picked up their guitars.

“She got a ticket, but we didn’t,” Levin said, who also admitted she had not heard music from The Driver Era before. “I’m just a Ross Lynch fan.”

On April 7, the University Program Board (UPB) at Chapman University transformed the campus into a stage for The Driver Era. The band, consisting of brothers Ross and Rocky Lynch, thrilled the audience with an energetic performance and their infectious music. The band began in 2018 and now have over 1.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify, with their 3 albums of music consisting of alternative rock.

The event at Chapman sold out within three hours when tickets went on sale, which was 1,200 tickets total.

The night began as eager fans watched the brothers make their way from Beckman Hall, around the venue and up the steps of Leatherby Libraries where they would be performing. Freshman Chloe den Hartog lept up to take a video for her friend as soon as she saw Lynch step outside. 

“I just came (to the concert) because I thought it would be fun and I’ve seen Ross Lynch on the Disney Channel shows I would watch as a kid,” said den Hartog, a psychology and global communication and world languages double major. “My friend is obsessed (with Ross Lynch) so she was like, ‘If you don’t go to this concert I’m going to be so mad at you.’ So, I went.”

As the brothers stepped on stage, red and white strobe lights danced around, creating silhouettes of the boys as they picked up their guitars. As the artificial fog began to disperse around them, teenage shrieks echoed throughout the Piazza as a dream-like atmosphere began to settle and everyone watched in awe as the former "Austin & Ally" star and his brother began to sing. 

This dreamy entrance set the tone for the rest of the night, with the audience pumped up and ready for an exciting show.

“Ross and Rocky interacting with the crowd stood out to me,” said Morgan Tapia, a junior integrated educational studies major. “It wasn’t a big crowd because we are a decently small university, but they performed like they were at SoFi Stadium, which I appreciated.”

The event at Chapman sold out within three hours when tickets went on sale, which was 1,200 tickets total.

Despite the seamless performance from the band, Rachel Lin, a junior business administration major and on-campus entertainment director for UPB, told The Panther that planning the event wasn’t as easy.

“I realized looking at my budget, I didn't have sufficient funds to go as far as I wanted to," Lin said. "So with that, we went to SGA (Student Government Association) Senate and received funding from them. (That) was a really exciting moment. We didn't think that we were going to be given the opportunity to do so. But then, with SGA’s help, we were able to get the funding necessary.”

Despite the cold weather outside, the venue was heated up by sweating bodies dancing to songs like “Natural,” “Heart of Mine” and “Afterglow,” some of the duo's popular hits. The bass shook the ground, making their presence known even blocks away. As the crowd sang along and danced to the beat of the music, it was clear the band's energy was contagious.

Mackenzie Manna, a junior integrated educational studies major, attended the concert with a few friends for a “girls night” and told The Panther she was surprised UPB was able to get someone as famous as Ross Lynch to perform at Chapman. 

Although she wasn’t familiar with any of The Driver Era’s music, she said the concert inspired her to add some of their hits to her future playlists.

“Their music wasn’t what I usually listen to, but I vibed with it, so I would say I'm a fan now,” Manna said.

Even though The Driver Era discography was not as well known by many current students, incoming freshman Katherine Escalante heard about the event and, knowing her sister was a huge fan, brought her along to sit on the outside of the venue. 

Tapia unfortunately spent the entire concert directly next to a large speaker, which she said felt like it was blowing her eardrum out, but she still managed to enjoy the concert and hear new music she had been unfamiliar with beforehand.

“I feel like I was a Ross Lynch fan when I was younger and he was in his Disney era, but I definitely think current me is for sure a Ross Lynch fan when he is in his driver era," Tapia said.