By: Kayla Middleton
Everything is better when it’s from H-Town and Waterparks continues to prove this statement truthful. Formed here in Houston, Texas, the trio consisting of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Awsten Knight, lead guitarist Geoff Wigington, and drummer Otto Wood hit the stage for “The Property Tour” in the heart of Midtown at Rise Rooftop. The venue change didn’t stop the scene from being packed wall-to-wall with a sea of red hair dye (likely to match Awsten’s for this era) that moshed their hearts out all night long. That hometown energy flowed through the venue the entire night making this show a highlight for Houston fans!
The trio entered the stage as frontman Knight sported a furry winter coat and opened with ST*RFUCKER. The song created unimaginable hype for the audience that truly set the energy for the night. Early in the set, they played older songs Rare and Stupid For You, pulling me back into my 2018 Parx phase and I could not help but to dance and sing along with the crowd. As mentioned before, this show was special. With this being their hometown show, Awsten took a pause to shout out his parents in the audience and the band’s excitement to perform was through the roof as they expressed gratitude for their journey and reflected on their past here in Houston.
The pop-punk band rocked the stage with hits like Telephone, CLOSER, and BRAINWASHED. The night was filled with dancing, moshing, and even a proposal where Knight jokingly invited himself to their wedding! Awsten’s personality lit up the room as he performed and engaged with the audience. His snappy remarks and quick jokes made it feel as if we were his friends attending a house show to support the band.
The set list had a section where it was just Knight on stage with his acoustic guitar. He plays whatever he feels like playing in the moment as the set list so funnily named this segment “whatever Awsten is doing.” He amusingly asks the audience if they know a certain song and the crowd erupts with cheers. Knight proceeded to play deep cut Waterparks songs such as Gloom Boys and Peaches and the audience knows every single word.
The night closed with Turbulent and FUNERAL GREY and the screen left the audience with a message that wrote “YOU ARE NOW LEAVING THE PROPERTY,'' which captured how immersed I and the audience felt during the duration of the amazing show. It was a night of alt-rock fun and counting how many times Awsten wanted the crowd to “open up the pit!”
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