We The Kings made a pit-stop at Colgate on their “Warped Tour” Friday, September 30 to ring in Homecoming Weekend. Crowds gathered in the rain on Whitnall Field for a bonfire, fried mac and cheese balls from the Come Fry with Me food truck, ’Gate gear and accessories and a great show. The band took the crowd by storm, immediately grabbing the audience’s attention with funny puns, great stories and catchy songs.

Travis Clark, the band’s lead singer, was incredibly interactive with the audience. During the band’s second song, “When I Feel Alive,” Travis taught the crowd two dance moves, the sorority squat and the “wacky inflatable arm man” to get everyone jumping around during the choruses. The crowd eagerly participated and danced along. Later in the show, the group filmed the crowd dancing; Clark explained the group’s goal to get every crowd they play for on their tour to dance to the same song so they can create a tour video at the end. The idea did not fail to get the crowd on their feet, and it was great to be able to contribute to the video.

Although We The Kings is notorious for their alternative rock feel and upbeat hits, they did not fail to impress, with sweet vocals, beautiful harmonies, creative mash-ups and epic covers. Clark started “Secret Valentine” out with a story about how being a father has changed his life. Clark’s daughter is young, and does not understand the content discussed in her dad’s music. Although the story definitely got an “aww” out of the crowd, his song dedication made everyone laugh.

“This next song is about the first time I played Tetris with a girl,” Clark said.

The slow song was funny and sweet at once and a great change of pace. The group followed on a more serious note, where Clark dedicated “Runaway” to his mother battling cancer. He took a quick video of the crowd sending well wishes to his mom as well. The crowd swooned at Clark’s admiration for his mom.

The group mashed their own song “Just Keep Breathing” with a Coldplay classic, “Fix You.” It was interesting seeing the group perform other bands’ songs, as it gave a sense as to who they listen to in the industry and assume their fans enjoy. As the fire burned bright, the crowd swayed and sang along to the mashup. The group also covered Jimmy Eat World’s “The Middle,” a 2000s classic. Clark explained that the song was his favorite when he was growing up. Their rendition was almost as good as the original and had the crowd shouting the lyrics. Adrenaline running high, the group

definitely knew their audience’s taste in music when performing at a college campus.

“I loved We The Kings’ covers of Coldplay and Jimmy Eat World,” sophomore Mara Stein said. “They added variety to the show, and everyone was able to sing along.”

Finally, the group played “Check Yes Juliet.” The crowd knew every word and shouted the lyrics along with the band. Snapchat stories were rampant as students recorded the moment that characterized their entire childhood. Using that energy, they closed the show with “The Story of Tonight,” a song from the musical Hamilton.

“I loved how they closed with their version of ‘The Story of Tonight,’” first-year Julia Segal said. “I love Hamilton and had no idea they did a cover. It was awesome.”  The concert was an amazing way to kick off this exciting weekend and bring students together to celebrate homecoming.