Summer break might be in full swing but the idobi Radio Summer School Tour made sure class was in session and fully packed. Back at Stage AE for its sophomore year after a wildly successful debut run last summer, the tour has already built a reputation for being the new breeding ground for tomorrow’s headliners. Much like the Warped Tour of old (and new), it thrives on chaos, community, and that sweaty, unfiltered joy that comes from a night of non-stop music. With an absolutely stacked lineup and fast-paced set times, there wasn’t a quiet moment to be found. Every band had a shot to own the stage, and the crowd was more than ready to meet them halfway.
Huddy wasted no time setting the tone for the night. Bursting onto the stage with a swagger that bordered on defiant and armed with his latest release, “Vendetta,” he commanded the early crowd’s attention with hook-heavy songs and a pop-punk edge that got heads nodding and hands in the air. His connection with the fans was instant, it was as if he was singing to each individual person directly. Raw energy gave his set a spark that made it impossible to look away. By the time he wrapped, the floor was buzzing like it had just been hit with a jolt of caffeine.
Arrows In Action followed and brought a warmer, heartfelt energy that felt like a late-summer sunset in musical form. Their songs blended melody and grit, with choruses built for shouting along until your voice gave out. They played with precision but also with the looseness of a band having the time of their lives on the road. Their upcoming album I Think I’ve Been Here Before doesn’t release until September 19th, but they took advantage of this stacked show to give a taste of some of the songs, including a yet to be released track “Cheekbones.” The crowd swayed, bounced, and at times belted every word right back at them, creating that shared atmosphere that makes pop-punk so addictive. One of the best parts of the Summer School Tour last year was the collaboration between bands, with singers and guitarists popping out when you least expect them, and the same goes for this year. When Taylor Acorn ran out to help Arorws In Action close their set with “Uncomfortably Numb,” the crowd absolutely erupted. Arrows In Action left the stage looking like they’d just been through a storm, but grinning ear to ear.
Beauty School Dropout was a different beast entirely, leaning hard into their rowdy, party-starting persona. The second-heaviest band of the night, they hit the gas from the very first note and never let up, blending punk energy with a rock-and-roll snarl that made every song feel like a dare. Their banter between songs had the crowd laughing one second and screaming along the next. Their song “Two Of Us” was set to release the day after the show, so Pittsburgh got a sneak peak of the heavy love song’s addictive riffs. Fans in the pit danced with abandon, some singing along with such force you’d think they were auditioning to join the band. By the end, BSD had turned the floor into one big, sweaty, grinning mess, but this was only the beginning of the madness…
Then came If Not For Me, the undisputed heavy hitters of the night. From the first crushing breakdown, they ignited a glorious circle pit that kept spinning for the entire set. The crowdsurfers also started riding waves of hands. If Not For Me’s blend of metalcore aggression and melodic hooks gave the set a wild push-and-pull energy. Their set heavily featured their 2024 album Everything You Wanted which is an absolute whirlwind of an album. Frontman Patty Glover worked the crowd like a ringleader, getting bodies moving in every direction. Glover reminisced on their previous two Pittsburgh shows and declared that this was by far the best of them. For a tour heavy on pop-punk and alt-rock, their bone-rattling set was a welcome reminder that Summer School has room for all kinds of chaos.
Charlotte Sands lit up the stage after If Not For Me positivity destroyed it with her neon-bright energy and razor-sharp pop hooks. She has a knack for making a massive room feel like a sweaty club show, connecting with the audience like she’s talking to old friends. Her voice cut through with both sweetness and grit, and every chorus landed like a firework. The crowd sang so loudly at times that she just stood back, smiling in disbelief, letting them take over. “Neckdeep,” Charlotte Sands’ latest song which released just a week prior to the show, already had more than a few fans indicated by the cheers and screams from the crowd. Her set felt like a burst of pure joy in the middle of the night’s mayhem.
Rain City Drive brought a slick, soaring sound that shifted the night’s pace without slowing the energy. Their polished musicianship gave every track an anthemic lift, and their ability to lock into each other onstage kept the songs tight and powerful. Their latest release, “Ride Or Die,” kicked up the energy and got the crowdsurfers back in the air. Frontman Matt McAndrew’s voice soared over the crowd, pulling hands into the air during every big chorus. They had the kind of set that makes you want to roll the windows down and scream along, and the crowd treated it like a singalong from start to finish.
Taylor Acorn closed the night with a set that felt like a heart-to-heart between friends who grew up on the same playlist. This show marked her return to Stage AE after opening for Dashboard Confessional last year, and Pittsburgh welcomed her back with open arms. Her mix of honest lyrics and anthemic melodies hit perfectly with a crowd that had been through every mood imaginable in one night. She moved with ease between upbeat singalongs and more vulnerable moments, holding the room in the palm of her hand. Her newest track, “Goodbye, Good Riddance,” had everyone screaming the lyrics back as loud as they could, a sure sign that this song became an instant favourite. As she wrapped, there was that familiar buzz in the air, the one that says nobody wanted it to be over. Summer School’s sophomore year at Stage AE proved once again that it’s more than just a tour. It’s a traveling family reunion for a scene that still believes in the power of a packed room, a loud guitar, and a crowd that refuses to stand still.
August 6th, 2025
