Some songs never really leave you. I knew that going into the Boys Like Girls show in Buffalo. I remember my first Warped Tour, 14, maybe 15, seeing them for the first time. Back then, it was just fun. Loud, catchy, something you screamed along to without thinking too much about it.
But years pass. You grow up a little. The songs stick around in a different way. And somewhere along the line, Boys Like Girls figured out exactly who they were and leaned into it. That’s what made this one feel different walking in. It wasn’t just nostalgia. It was curiosity. It was wanting to see what that band sounds like now, after everything.
Arrows in Action came out and immediately felt like the kind of band you don’t plan on remembering—but end up talking about on the drive home. Super clean, super catchy, and way more energy than you expect that early in the night. The crowd was still trickling in, grabbing drinks, figuring out where to stand—and somehow they still managed to pull people in. By halfway through the set, heads were up, people were moving, and it stopped feeling like an opener slot.
iDKHOW was a total shift—in the best way. Where Arrows felt bright and easy, this felt darker, a little weird, a little unpredictable. The kind of set where you’re not totally sure what’s coming next, but you’re locked in anyway. There’s a confidence to it that doesn’t feel forced—just tight, controlled, and a little chaotic around the edges. It gave the night some personality right before the headliner hit, and honestly made the whole lineup feel more intentional.
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
