With arms waving to the beat of the music, vibrant lights gleaming throughout the crowd, and passionate singing vibrating throughout the new FivePoint Amphitheatre, the Irvine band, Young The Giant, was the opening band of the temporary theater on Oct. 5. Once making it through security, concert goers made their way onto the lush grass courtyard full of festivities for all ages.

Entering the parking lot proved to be rather difficult as it was not properly marked. However, once spectators all found the entrance, traffic started to flow in rather quickly. The amphitheatre was equipped with picnic tables to lounge at, food carts, a merchandise booth and bean bag toss to create an entertaining experience for attendees.

The FivePoint Amphitheatre was created due to the fact that the Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre was closed down since the Irvine Company decided not to renew the lease so that the city can add housing developments. There were mixed reactions to the opening of the temporary arena as an attempt to keep live music apart of Irvine culture, but overall many were content with the temporary solution since it allowed them to enjoy more live music. Many spectators around said that the FivePoint Amphitheatre is nothing like the Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre and will never be like it.

“The venue was great,” senior Sydnney Cruz said. “It was really clean, spotless almost, but the best part was that anywhere you sat guaranteed you a great view of the performers.”

Perfect is an understatement of Young The Giant’s performance. As soon as the lights dimmed, the crowd erupted into cheers, screaming at the top of their lungs. The band opened up with their song, “Amerika.” The meaning behind this song reflects on the background of band’s families. Everyone has a dream of being successful and achieving the American Dream, but it was unattainable for their families. In the middle of the concert, they played their most famous song, “Cough Syrup,” which was written when the band had broken up earlier when they used to be named The Jakes in high school.

According to Songfacts, the group, “felt somewhat oppressed by the universal expectation of what to do in Orange County… in suburbia in general….[they] really yearned to break out of that and do something a little bit different.” band member Sameer Gadhia said. “[They] wanted to break free, not necessarily from oppression, but the common symptoms of suburbia like boredom, normality and homogeneity.”

The Irvine natives, Sameer Gadhia, Jacob Tilley, Eric Cannata, Payam Doostzadeh and Francois Comtois, played their hearts out on the stage, making sure that the viewers got the experience of a lifetime; something they will live to tell for many years.

“I expected to see Young The Giant just perform and get into their songs, but they really got into their music,” senior Emma Benz said. “All of the visuals and screens made it easy to see the performance; the lighting and the stage designs really added to the show and its experience.”

Despite the impeccable performance, the concert was not sold out, having many empty seats in all sections but the pit. The audience ranged from high school students to longtime concert goers in every section of the arena, making it a perfect family performance. One could clearly observe that the spectators truly loved the band and everything they represent, a group of people who do not care about the social constructs of the world. There was never a dull moment, with the entire audience dancing, singing and gleaming with joy.

 “I loved everything about it, the people, the music and the experience,” Cruz said. “Everything about the event was spectacular and very enjoyable.” It was perfect for them to end their tour in the city that started it all. The FivePoint Amphitheatre is a great place to experience a concert because the arena provided a safe and enjoyable atmosphere.