High-energy performance as Paramore fill the arena
On August 14, Paramore rocked the arena at AsiaWorld-Expo. As I was waiting to get in to meet them in the lobby, the first thing to catch my eye was the crowd of people eager to get into the concert hall. There were a lot of hardcore Paramore fans who had dyed their hair just like Hayley Williams or even had matching tattoos like Jeremy Davis or the same piercings as Taylor York.
We were led into the backstage area where there was a big white tent. Five minutes went by and suddenly we heard screams - and Paramore had just arrived. Hayley, Jeremy and Taylor casually walked in and greeted us all with their cute smiles. I was speechless and no words came out of my mouth for a few minutes.
We were split into groups to take photos. I was in the second group, and it was the best two or three minutes of my life. I got to shake hands with Paramore, the best feeling ever! We got a photo with them and I gave them some gifts.
When we left, we rushed to the stadium so we could get a good view of the band. The concert was amazing! Lots of head-banging, jumping and screaming. It was really worth it. Thank you Young Post for this wonderful opportunity!
Kei Uchida, 17, KGV
After the meet and greet, I was so happy I cried. It was truly a dream come true, and I can now cross something off my bucket list.
For the concert, I was standing in the first three rows. Despite all the pushing and positioning I managed to keep that spot for the whole time.
When Paramore came on stage, Hayley announced that her goal was for the audience to go home without a voice. She succeeded. I go to a number of concerts every year and I usually go home with crackly vocals, but I have never completely lost my voice. However, this time I did.
Many other bands and singers don't have enough energy to fill up the room, even with elaborate setups. Paramore did not need any gimmicks, for they had Hayley, a fearless frontwoman whose exuberance filled the room. I could feel her energy as she sang fan favourites such as That's What You Get, For A Pessimist I'm Pretty Optimistic and Crushcrushcrush.
The boys were full of enthusiasm too. Throughout the show, there were times when Jeremy and Taylor would synchronise their head-banging. And let's not forget their short but sensational gymnastic routine, when Jeremy did a flip over Taylor while still playing the bass. It was a sight to behold!
For the obligatory encore performance, Paramore wrapped it up with Misery Business. They even invited two fans up on stage to sing the bridge with them.
The performance ended with red and orange confetti sprayed into the air. The band stood together to take a bow and Hayley screamed, 'We are a family!' Yes, we are.
Zacharie Star Zee, 13, Chinese International School
