Live: Paramore Are the Future
ParamoreCentral Park, New York City
To many people over 18, pop-punk group Paramore are more famous for their unique major label deal than their music. The so-called 360-deal means the band's label shares not just profits from album sales, but from touring and merchandising, too. In return, the label gives the band boosted promotional support in hopes of building a rock hard fan base that will stick with Paramore through at least a few hair color changes. Though massive artists like Madonna and Jay-Z have signed similar deals, Paramore have become the de facto example of how major labels can still help new bands reach large audiences in the age of iTunes. And, as it happens, major labels couldn't ask for a better lodestar. After a year on shelves, the quartet's sophomore album, Riot!, went platinum in July. Their non-stop touring has led to bigger and bigger venues across the world. They currently have 42 different t-shirts (not to mention pencils, laptop skins and notebook refill paper) on sale at their online store. But to people under 18, none of this matters much. Most of the rabid girls stuffed inside Central Park's Rumsey Field scream for Paramore — especially loveable and dynamic lead singer Hayley Williams — because they rock. Hard. And, in this case, all the kids are right.
Riot! is one of the best mainstream rock albums of the decade. The band are stupendously tight and anything but amateur live. And a lot of their t-shirts look pretty cool. Paramore are a great band, no matter how they're making money. There's a lot to like. While Obama was wooing Hillary supporters a couple time zones away in Denver Thursday night, Williams was offering her own equal opportunity plea, giving the ecstatic girls in the front row the emo heroine they deserve. Meanwhile, the band stretched out several Riot! favorites to keep themselves (and their die hards) excited: the heavy "Let the Flames Begin" got a spacey new intro and a wicked, PJ Harvey-esque (!) breakdown that gives us plenty of hope for the future. And the future seems like an inevitability for this group because, while they're amazing at hitting teen demographics and catching the attention of a generation raised on YouTube, they're also making vital music that their young followers can grow into naturally — deal or no deal.
