I had the chance to hang out with a group of teens on Saturday during a Kissclusive listening party with the new group, Why Don't We. These kids SLAYED and were so much fun.

It isn't very often that you get to interview up and coming groups with a fanbase that travels from all over. I interviewed girls that traveled from Seattle and as far as New York City. We were also streaming on Twitter to thousands of Why Don't We fans.

Photo by: Kekeluv
Photo by: Kekeluv
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A couple of hours after the party I ran into Logan and Jillian from Boise State. I thought it was pretty entertaining as we laughed about how broke they were as college students. I hooked them up with hot dogs, hamburgers, drinks and anything else I could grab. I gave them some tickets to them and Logan promised an article recap of the show. Deal.

Logan is also a contributing writer at the Arbiter from Boise State. She promised an article and photo. In return, I told her I'd get it published online from her perspective. This is Logan's piece and she did a great job!

Photo by: Logan Potter
Photo by: Logan Potter
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Why Don’t We hand-delivers The Invitation Tour to Boise

By Logan Potter

10 March 2018

            With five EPs and the title of Radio Disney’s Next Big Thing under their belts the boys of Why Don’t We have followed in the footsteps of some of the biggest boy bands of my generation, placing themselves on our heartthrob radars and Spotify playlists. Finally, after two full-length tours, Why Don’t We brought the party to Boise this Saturday at the Knitting Factory with “The Invitation Tour” for the very first time.

            Earlier in the day, I was fortunate enough to attend a Q&A session with the band at Urban Air Adventure Park in Meridian.This is precisely the moment where the audience learned that Why Don’t We has something that most other boy bands in recent years have lacked—humility. After being asked whether or not the transition behind groups like One Direction or even the Backstreet Boys is intimidating, they focused on thanking me for even categorizing them in the same realm as those iconic bands rather than the journey thus far. With phrases like “The loyalty of our fans brought us here,” and “We’re not famous,” it became abundantly clear that Zach, Daniel, Jack, Corbyn, and Jonah are focused more on the now than the bigger picture, and I know I wasn’t the only audience member who found it admirable.

            At Saturday night’s show, the Knitting Factory was packed with 12 to 15-year-olds, as well as about two people over 18 (myself and my friend) that weren’t chaperoning children. The line formed down from the Knit and around Liquid, filled with acapella versions of some of the band’s hit songs; “Trust Fund Baby” was quite the hit outside. The party really started once the show did, but I’d be lying if I said their opener didn’t disappoint. Obviously, lip syncing, Eben kept the younger girls pumped and ready for the main performer, while older fans not-so-patiently waited for the real show to start. Fortunately, the five members of Why Don’t We made up for the lost time from the very beginning of their hour-long set.

            Starting out with OG favorites like “Free” and “Why Don’t We Just,” the packed general admission section (myself included) completely forgot about the crowding and became entirely immersed in the show. As someone who reviews music weekly, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Why Don’t We is more impressive performing live than I ever could have imagined after listening to their studio music. For this reason, I became even more invested in the show. Their final two songs, “These Girls” and “Trust Fund Baby,” were definitely the most high-energy pieces of the set and they left me walking home (with a cold) feeling more enthusiastic for the band’s future than ever before.

In short—Boise was blessed this weekend. I haven’t felt this much like a fangirl since the announcement of One Direction’s hiatus, and I am ecstatic to have the opportunity to support a band that strongly once again. While they didn’t win the iHeartRadio Music Award for Best Boy Band this year (congrats, BTS), I’m optimistic for next year—and you can most definitely find me at the next Why Don’t We show in Boise...or Salt Lake City...or even Sea

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