All Time Low is on an all-time high

For a singing group that has been in the music and recording business for only eight years, the American pop punk band All Time Low has already set a track record that may be considered phenomenal.

What is more remarkable about the career of this young and talented group from Baltimore, Maryland, is that its success has been undergirded largely by extensive concert tours rather than by heavy radio plays of its songs considered necessary for sustained exposure among a great number of fans especially for a genre such as pop punk.

Its terrific public appeal and the superb quality of its music that have consistently drawn sold-out crowds to its performances have propelled All Time Low to the forefront of national pop-punk bands in the United States, and led to its emergence as arguably the pop-punk band of the moment.

That introduction was furnished Funfare by Renen de Guia of Ovation Productions which is mounting the All Time Low Live in Manila! concert next Thursday, Sept. 22, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, with local band Typecast as opening act.

“All Time Low has a big following in the Philippines,” said Renen who promptly arranged this exclusive phone interview with Alex Gaskarth (lead vocals). The three other members are Jack Barakat (guitar), Rian Dawson (drums) and Zack Merrick (bass). “The fans just love the guys.”

Renen added that the Big Dome concert is part of the quartet’s ongoing world tour to drum up for its latest (the fourth) album Dirty Work which comes after The Party Scene (2005), So Wrong (2007) and Nothing Personal (2009).

 The band was formed in 2003 in Baltimore and it initially performed mostly covers of pop groups like Green Day, Blink-182 and New Found Glory until it got a recording break in 2004 with its debut EP (Extended Play) album The Three Words to Remember In Dealing With The End which was followed by its first studio album The Party Scene.

In 2008, the Alternative Press Magazine named All Time Low as Band of the Year. The following year, the Top In Rock Awards named the group Best Pop Punk Band.

Excerpts from the phoner with Alex Gaskarth:

It’s good morning here in Manila and I’m not sure what time is it where you are.

Alex: Oh, it’s six o’clock here in L.A. where I am.

You guys have been together for eight years. Why did you call yourselves All Time Low when you are on an all-time high, with your career going great?

“Hahaha! First of all, I didn’t know we are on all-time high, whatever that means. Second of all, I think we named the band after a song. We had a show coming up and we were pressed for time, so we didn’t really have a choice.”

Were the four of you friends or classmates before you became a band?

“Yeah, we were. We met in high school, so that’s how we formed the band.”

So it’s music that keeps you together.

“Yeah, you’re right. Our love for music led us to forming a band.”

Do the four of you go for the same kind of music?

“Pretty much, pretty much. I would say, ‘Yes, we go for almost the same type of music.’ Actually, we go for all kinds of music — pop, rock, hip-hop.”

Of course, the fact that you’re good-looking enhances your appeal especially with the girls. How do you feel about that?

“You think so?”

Many teenaged girls in the Philippines go gaga over you.

“Really? Hahahaha!”

I’m sure your fans want to know what kind of girls do you four guys go for.

“What kind of girls do we go for? Hahahaha!”

Yes, starting with you.

“Hmmmm, single ones. A single lady.”

Do the three others go for the same kind of girls?

“No, I don’t think so. We all have separate tastes. It’s like music and fine wine. Everybody likes what he likes. But I guess that if they were looking for girls, they would look for nice, young ladies, too. Ones who are charming and have a great personality.”

Could you please describe the three other members.

“Jack is kind of crazy, very outgoing. Rian is more down-to-earth. Zack is kind of quiet.”

What about you?

“Oh, I’m kind of charming. Hahahaha!”

What are your criteria in choosing the songs that you record?

“We do disagree in the beginning but we end agreeing on what kind of songs that you should put into an album.

Who are your musical influences?

“Hmmmm, when we started it was a lot about the music of everybody else. But as we progressed, we liked the music of John Mayer, among others.”

It will be All Time Low’s first time to perform in Manila on Sept. 22. What can we expect from your concert?

“Hmmmm, lots of energy, lots of fun and lots of surprises.”

Will you go down the stage and mix with the audience and, you know, shake hands with them and get kissed by your fans?

“We just might do that. We’ll see….”

(Note: All Time Low Live in Manila! is produced by Ovation Productions in association with Dayly Entertainment and with the cooperation of etc, 2nd Avenue, Jack TV, Universal Channel, EDSA Shangri-La Manila, The Rockwell Club and Dodge. It is also supported by The Philippine STAR, BusinessWorld, ABS-CBN, 97.9 Home Radio, Mellow 94;7, Monster Radio RX 93.1, MYX, OptimaSignsolutions and Top40 T-Shirts. Tickets prices are P4,500, P4,000, P3,500, P3,000, P2,500, P1,000 and P500, available at all SM Department Stores and at the Araneta Coliseum. Or call Ticketnet at 911-5555.)

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