Some songs never really leave you.
The moment Boys Like Girls took the stage at Buffalo RiverWorks on April 7, it was clear this wasn’t just another stop on tour — it was a full-circle moment for a crowd that grew up with these songs as the soundtrack to late-night drives, high school heartbreaks, and some of the best years of their lives.
From the jump, the energy inside RiverWorks was undeniable. Fans packed the venue early, buzzing with anticipation and ready for a night built entirely on nostalgia. By the time the lights dropped and the opening notes hit, the room erupted.
For one night, Buffalo was transported straight back to the mid-2000s.
Martin Johnson and the band wasted no time giving the crowd exactly what they came for. The set moved with nonstop energy, balancing the emotional pull of their biggest hits with the kind of stage presence that reminds you why Boys Like Girls became such a defining band of that era in the first place.
Every song felt bigger live.
Thunder instantly sent a wave through the crowd, with every lyric shouted back word for word. Hero/Heroine carried that same emotional weight it always has, while The Great Escape turned the entire venue into one giant singalong. It was one of those rare live music moments where the room feels completely united — strangers singing together, arms in the air, everyone locked into the same memory.
What made the night stand out wasn’t just the nostalgia, though.
Boys Like Girls proved that these songs still hold up, and more importantly, that they still know how to own a stage. The vocals were sharp, the band’s energy never let up, and the chemistry between the stage and the audience carried through every moment of the set.
There’s a difference between a band revisiting old material and a band truly bringing it back to life.
This felt like the latter.
For longtime fans, the show was a reminder of why these songs meant so much in the first place. For newer listeners, it was easy to see why Boys Like Girls remain such a staple in the pop-rock and emo scene.
On a Tuesday night in Buffalo, RiverWorks felt electric.
Live music has a way of bringing people back to a certain place in time, and Boys Like Girls delivered exactly that — a night that felt both nostalgic and completely alive in the present.
And with that, we’ll see you next time in the pit.
-Amanda
