Pop-Punk Acts to Rock MAC

Though classes are out at Monmouth University, that does not mean the West Long Branch school will be going dark for the summer, as the university is having some high profile events lined up for June, July and August.

On Friday, July 29, rap star Wiz Khalifa will be performing at the school. The next day, on July 30, a different style of music will be played for an adoring crowd, as the punk-pop group All Time Low will be rocking the Multipurpose Activity Center, along with opening acts The Starting Line and Mayday Parade on the “Gimme Summer Ya Love Tour." 

All Time Low was formed in 2003, and plays in the same style of music as that of pop-punk groups like Blink 182 and New Found Glory. The band gained fame in 2007 with their second album, “So Wrong, It’s Right.” From this album, the band experienced their first hit single, “Dear Maria, Count Me In,” and followed that one up with their second hit, “Poppin Champagne.”

In 2009, the band released their third album, “Nothing Personal,” which debuted at number four on the Billboard charts. Their fourth album, “Dirty Work,” was released last Tuesday, June 7, and featured songs co-written by Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo.

Joining All Time Low is another very popular pop-punk band, The Starting Line. This Philadelphia-based band was formed in 1999. Their first album, “Say It Like You Mean It,” was released in 2002 and featured the hit song, “Best of Me.” The band followed that up with the 2005 album, “Based on a True Story,” which featured the popular single, “Bedroom Talk.”

Also performing during this show will be Mayday Parade. The group formed in 2005 in Florida and has released two albums so far in their career, with 2007’s “A Lesson in Romantics,” and 2009’s “Anywhere but Here.” This band has also made a career of covering songs on the “Punk Goes …” series of albums, with recordings of Queen’s “We Are The Champions,” and Jason Derulo’s “In My Head.”

Tickets for the show are $29.50, and customers are limited to eight tickets apiece. Doors will open to the MAC at 5:30 p.m., and the concert will begin an hour later. There is a $10 fee for parking, and tailgating is not allowed anywhere at Monmouth University prior to the show.

Tickets can be purchased for this show through ticketmaster.com, by calling 800-745-3000 or by visiting the MAC box office.