“B

oy band.” The words alone are enough to send shivers down my spine, conjuring images of screaming pre-teen girls and mediocre-looking white boys singing about love and heartbreak. So you can imagine my apprehension to attend one of these concerts, and for 5 Seconds of Summer no less, a band whose fans are known for being particularly fanatical.

Upon arriving at the venue, my friends and I elbowed our way past countless girls in denim skirts (seriously, it’s like they coordinated this beforehand) and ignored the dirty looks as we aimed for a spot with some visibility of the stage. It wasn’t long before the mood turned from excited to restless. Multiple people fainted before the opening act even took the stage.

When the band finally came onstage, I immediately understood the obsession. Four mediocre-looking white boys suddenly transformed into heartthrobs, and I found myself screaming with the rest of the crowd in pure joy. Their opening song, “Babylon,” was a smash hit – literally. Drummer Ashton Irwin opened with a solo before pounding his way through the powerful chorus.

Admiring bass guitar player Calum Hood throughout the performance caused me to become immune to the thousand of sweat-drenched girls that surrounded me. His stellar vocals turned song like “If Walls Could Talk” and “Moving Along” into the highlights of the night.

After a 2-year hiatus, the Australian band hit the ground running, showcasing arguably their most daring album to date, “Youngblood.” Seeing our middle school anthems live brought back so many emotions, particularly during “Amnesia,” in which all 5,000 fans held up flashlights and collectively swayed to the intimate lyrics.

Luke Hemmings stepped off of center stage to take a seat at the piano and captivated the entire room with a slowed down rendition of my personal favorite song, “Lie to Me.”

Nearing the end of the concert, the moment I had waited for all night arrived: a single thrum of the electric guitar, and the four dove into their chart-topping hit “She Looks so Perfect.” This, followed by their more recent hit song “Youngblood,” ended the show perfectly, leaving us equal parts deaf and depressed as we began the journey home.

5 Seconds of Summer’s charismatic stage presence and memorable music combined to hit us with our worst case of post-concert depression to date. The following day, we sat in my car and listened to their music in silence, wishing we could relive the night – even if it meant spending two hours in line.