In Cleveland on July 22, 2015, "Alternative Press Magazine" hosted their second annual award show. Many people did not hear about this event, but for those who did it was a big, big deal. Starting last year, some of the biggest bands in the alternative scene would gather for a night of celebrating bands, artists, and fans in this scene.
Last year I had the privilege of attending the APMAs and I was able to see several of my favorite bands perform in one night. The lineup included, Fall Out Boy, All Time Low, Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco, Misfits, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and many more. 2015’s show lived up to the expectations set by the previous year.
This year’s award show included performances by All Time Low, Black Veil Brides, Panic! at the Disco, Simple Plan, New Found Glory with Hayley Williams, Sum 41, and headliner, Weezer. With a night full of this many performances and awards, there is no way for it to go as predicted. The APMA’s are always full of surprises and this year was no different.
To start off the show, All Time Low opened with a medley of several punk rock/alternative classics. They covered songs such as “Bad Reputation” (Joan Jett), “Dance, Dance” (Fall Out Boy), “Basket Case” (Green Day), and “What’s My Age Again” (Blink-182). They then performed their new song “Something’s Gotta Give.” After starting the show strong, front men Alex Gaskarth and Jack Barakat hosted the rest of the show. Last year’s host Mark Hoppus of Blink-182 also made an appearance via a video from a child’s bedroom. He gave Alex and Jack pointers about hosting the show, similar to the way he guided them through many other aspects of their careers in music. Alex and Jack hosted the rest of the show very well, rolling with all of the unpredictability of the show. The show was even restarted early in the evening, but they made a joke to the audience and were able to carry on without any hiccups.
As Alex and Jack hosted the show, they made several jokes about several of the bands nominated for awards and the bands performing. They even made a joke about their own band members and their less favorable album, "Dirty Work." Everyone enjoyed these jokes besides a few people from other bands; specifically, Trace Cyrus of Metro Station. Trace Cyrus and Mason Musso were onstage to present an award when Trace stole the spotlight and called out All Time Low for “treating them disrespectful” and other similar accusations. Following this incident, Alex and Trace had “the most beautiful conversation” according to Alex, which roughly translates to “an almost physical fight.” Alex was able to save the show the next time he and Alex came onstage. He turned the focus back to the fans and cleared the air. These are just a few of the examples of Alex and Jack’s great moments at the APMAs.
The APMAs presented many deserving artists with awards. Hayley Williams of Paramore won Best Vocalist. Zack Merrick of All Time Low won Best Bassist. Bring Me The Horizon won the Best Music Video award for their song “Drown.” Issues won the Artist of the Year award. All of these awards are so special because the fans vote for them. I voted a few times for the awards, which made it even more special when my favorite artists won. You can see a complete list of awards and winners at http://www.altpress.com/apmas.
My favorite performances of the night were PVRIS’s performance with Tyler Carter of Issues, and Panic! at the Disco’s performance. I loved PVRIS’s performance because they are a very talented upcoming band and it was exciting to see them receive this recognition. It was also exciting to see Tyler Carter perform with PVRIS because his band is also deserving of the spotlight. We can confirm that because Issues won the Artist of the Year Award. I loved Panic! at the Disco’s performance because of their “Bohemian Rhapsody” cover. Last summer, on the "Gospel Tour," Panic! covered “Bohemian Rhapsody” every night. A video of their cover went viral and many people commended their cover. Not to mention Brendon Urie sarcastically dedicated the performance to Trace Cyrus to show his support for his long time friends in All Time Low.
Although the APMA is an amazing event that allows me to see all of my favorite bands in one night, it is also a great night for discovering new music. If you’re a fan of older alternative music and you’re watching for Weezer, Sum 41, and Simple Plan, this was a great opportunity to discover bands like PVRIS, State Champs, and Issues. If you’re like me, and you’re a fan of newer bands in the scene, the APMAs provide access to more classic bands such as Weezer, Rob Zombie, and X the band. But my favorite part of the event is fans of several genres coming together to recognize the hard work put in by artists. Artists aren’t always honored for the work that they do, so it is important that we show them how respected they are. I am very excited to see the Alternative Press Music Awards grow in the future.
You can watch the entire show here
