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Cute Is What We Aim For Live Review | The Social, Orlando, Florida | September 22, 2016

by • October 12, 2016

For most of us, the period between late middle school and early high school was a miserable phase consisting of an overkill of acne, braces, and unceasing socially awkward moments. Nonetheless, a speck of hope existed through the one thing that exposed everyone’s inner cool kid: pop-punk music.

On Thursday, September 22, I arrived at The Social to see pop-punk veterans Cute Is What We Aim For perform their first Orlando show in years. I maneuvered my way through the crowd to snag a spot towards a small corner in the front row. Despite the concert’s 12+ age policy, every fan appeared to be a fellow retired punk kid in their early to mid-twenties who just wanted to relive their schmaltzy teen days.

Orlando-based band LUVLOST brought a mass of hometown vibes and warmed the crowd up with a few songs that were perfect for the occasional head bang. I somehow managed to obtain a perfect view in the front row and completely forgot about the people standing behind me. Once the second opener, A Wolf in the City, took the stage, I glanced back and saw the ghost town of a concert venue I faintly remembered instantly transform into a sea of faces. In contrast to their mellow-sounding vibe on Spotify, A Wolf in the City managed to execute a loud, hardcore live performance. I’d heard a couple of songs from the band prior to the concert but still needed to confirm that I was listening to the same band. “Reprieve” was the track that stood out the most to me based on the catchy rapping mixed with heavy instrumentals.

By the time Cute Is What We Aim For was getting ready to come on, I scanned the audience and knew that everyone’s $3 PBR spree had kicked in and excitement was at an all-time high. Lead singer Shaant Hacikyan is definitely on my list of the most energetic performers I have ever encountered. Decked out in a black hat, white high-top converse, and a bright red tank-top that read “Make America Cute Again,” Hacikyan explosively emerged onto the center of the stage, while the rest of the band mates chimed in to begin the show.

Through the course of the show, Hacikyan occupied every bit of the stage — his lively personality was so evident that it was almost tangible. For some of us, it really was tangible: he high-fived, hugged, and acknowledged nearly everyone in the front row and made us all feel a certain type of special. As the end of the show approached, he dove back-first into the crowd and admitted that it was his first time crowd surfing. This wasn’t Hacikyan’s first time for everythingexperience in Orlando: he also got his first (and only) tattoo at a secret spot behind The Social a few years ago.

Orlando received a lot of love from the boys that night. Guitarist Jeff Czum even made a comment that Orlando was one of his favorite cities. The band gifted us with some old sentimental jams like “Curse of Curves,” “There’s a Class For This,” and my personal favorite “Practice Makes Perfect,” which they waited to play during their encore.

Cute Is What We Aim For is a band that I will always remember. The show took place a few days after my 23rd birthday, and right as I thought I was getting old, I felt like a kid again.

Cute Is What We Aim For Live Review by Paulina Praphanchith. Edited by Kristen Burns.


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