The four members of Paramore (five if you include touring guitarist Taylor York) have been on the road nearly nonstop for a good long while now, and what usually happens when a band gets toward the end of their final touring cycle for an album is that, well, they stop caring. Totally not the case with this fivesome though.
Having been at the L.A. stop of this tour, it came as a bit of a surprise to me just how good every single member of this band sounded for this outing, but then, a professional film crew does much to catch what you can’t hear when surrounded by screaming 13-year olds. Perfectly capturing the fun intensity the band always brings to the stage, the DVD showcases frontwoman Hayley Williams cutting loose with her awe-inspiring vocals, see “My Heart,” while never sacrificing an ounce of her commanding rocker stage presence, as with show opening anthem “Born For This.”
What may be most impressive about the band is that for all her charisma and charm, Williams willingly shares the stage with her band mates, each of whom are equally as skilled at their respective instruments. While he admittedly gets the least visual attention, drummer Zac Farro, also the youngest member of the band at 18, shows himself to be a masterful prodigy when given the ability to see him up close. And no matter how many times you see it, guitarist Josh Farro and bassist Jeremy Davis’ signature modified leapfrog move halfway through “Pressure” just never gets old.
Seeing the band show off just how well-adjusted they are within their newfound rock stardom serves as a shining example for every young band of how to balance popularity with musical integrity. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, if this is what these kids can do before most of them are even 21, we can’t wait to see what they’ve got in store next.
Grade: A
The Final Riot! is currently available.
