We Can Survive Review!

Yesterday was the third annual We Can Survive concert thrown by CBS Radio and 97.1 AMP Radio. This show uses a portion of the proceeds to support Young Survival Coalition, which is the premier global organisation dedicated to the critical issues for young women who are diagnosed with breast cancer. In the past at We Can Survive they have had Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Gwen Stefani, Sia, and Ellie Goulding. This years line up was INSANE!

The day started off early at the Hollywood Bowl when we were invited to sit with performers 5 Seconds of Summer to hear a short Q&A presented by Citi Bank, along with a short pre show performance. The boys were able to play three songs for the small audience, and even though the audience was small, the girls screamed loud enough to seem like the place was packed with people! A few hours later the stadium started filling up with fans and survivors of breast cancer. The show that night was SOLD OUT so it was amazing seeing every seat at the Hollywood Bowl filled with people dancing and having a great time.
5 Seconds of Summer kicked off the show which got people pumped for the night. The guys JUST released their latest album Sounds Good Feels Good. How much do their fans love them? Enough to have all the new songs memorized a day after the album came out. Even though their set was short with only about half an hour of stage time, they were able to play their songs “She’s Kinda Hot” “Amnesia” “Jet Black Heart” and they ended the set with their hit song “She Looks So Perfect“.

After the lights went down, the stage rotated to reveal a different band set up. The music started and Demi Lovato strutted across the stage. She started her set with “Confident” and practiced what she was preaching. During her set the one word I could use to describe her was powerful. I have never seen Demi live before but it’s truly something you don’t want to miss out on, especially if you’re a fan. She has a KILLER voice and I was blown away with how well she could sing. The ladies behind me were talking about how impressed they were with her live performance and how great of a vocalist she is. All of us who had not seen her live before were left with our jaws on the floor. Ms Lovato ended her set with her new song “Cool for the Summer“.
While most of the girls screaming earlier were younger, it was time for the older ladies to start screaming when Nick Jonas took the stage. Moms LOVE Nick Jonas. Nick started singing “Chains“, and while we were all dancing along to Nicks vocals, I wanted to give a shout out to his female guitarist who shredded during his set and was amazing. Nick did give us a little Whip and Nae Nae before going into his song “Teacher“. My favorite part of the former JoBro’s set was his Bell Biv Devoe cover of the song “Poison” which you may have seen on our instagram and twitter! And of course he couldn’t end his set without playing the popular song “Jealous“.

Things slowed down when Sam Smith took the stage to serenade the thousands of people who already watched three incredible acts perform. He opened with “I’m Not the Only One” which everyone sang at the top of their lungs (even if they didn’t sound as great as Sam.) Sam also performed “Like I Can” and of course ended his set with “Stay With Me” which is a ballad everyone knows. What I liked about Sam’s set is that he was all smiles the entire time. He was so happy to be there and Sam, we were happy you were there too.

The stage rotated again and the lights were down. My favorite set was coming up. There was no music at first, just wolf howling. Maroon 5 took the stage playing “Animals” and as much notes as I was taking during the show, most of my notes for the Maroon 5 set had to do with how hot and amazing Adam Levine is in person. They transitioned into “One More Night” and then into the Gym Class Heroes song “Stereo Hearts“. Maroon 5 fans are hilarious and incredible, during the show most of them just had their arms stretched out, their heads back, just soaking in the music and having their golden moments. When the band started playing “Harder to Breathe” I thought it sounded a little weird live. Obviously recordings and live shows differ, but I wasn’t too impressed with that song. However, there were a couple things during that song though that were pretty cool. First of all, bongos were played. Second of all, guitarist James Valentine was rocking out hard and made me stop paying attention to Adam. Nice job, James! They continued into “This Love” where Adam picked up a hot pink guitar and played with the band. It wouldn’t be a Maroon 5 show without the song “Sunday Morning” which got everyone waiving their light up tubes provided by the Hollywood Bowl in the same swaying directions. They started playing their song “Payphone” but only played the beginning before Adam asked the audience if they wanted to actually hear that song or a different one. I personally love “Payphone” so I was a little upset when they ended with “Moves Like Jagger” instead of playing the rest of the song. Still, it was my favorite performance of the night!

Calvin Harris was next, and while he had a short set, the best part was watching the audience dance. Whether you’re in a club or at a huge venue like the Bowl, it’s still great to see people dance and have a good time, even if a lot of it is fueled by the overpriced sangria. Calvin made sure to spin “How Deep Is Your Love“, “I Need Your Love“, and ending with “Blame“.

With the final rotation of the stage, it was time for The Weeknd. He started his set with “High For This” and went into “Can’t Feel My Face” which everyone sang along to. Things slowed down a bit when he performed his hit song that was featured in Fifty Shades of Grey “Earned It“. The greatest part about The Weeknd’s set was the pyrotechnics, they were wild. We had light strobes flashing, beams of color, and a background of lights.
There was an announcement that there would be a special guest performing that night and it was to be kept a secret so nobody knew when this special guest would be arriving. Someone in the seats behind me knew who it was and while they enjoyed keeping it a secret for 30 seconds, they spoiled it and told everyone around us who would be coming on the stage last. I wasn’t so surprised when a diva took the stage, but still excited nonetheless. Rihanna took over the stage as a surprise and started playing “Bitch Better Have My Money” and kept the party going.

At the end of the long night, my phone was at 1% and was on airplane mode for a lot of the show, but there was just so much to document on this night that will be not so easily forgotten. With such an amazing cause and incredible artists that support it, we can’t wait to see what the fourth year of We Can Survive will bring.