SHOW RECAP: 5 Seconds of Summer bring 'EVERYONE'S A STAR!' World Tour to Madison Square Garden

June 13th will absolutely be remembered as one of the busiest days in New York City’s history. Amidst the New York Knicks playing (and winning) game 5 of the NBA Finals and the Brazil v. Morocco game to kick off the World Cup, 5 Seconds of Summer returned to headline Madison Square Garden for the first time since 2023 on night one of two for their EVERYONE’S A STAR! World Tour. The air in the city was absolutely electric – and the band certainly met that energy in their performance. 

The night did present some initial challenges for fans, with doors opening an hour early due to the Knicks watch party, and a police freeze zone in place around the building – but the extra time gave many time to check out the UMusic pop-up full of NYC exclusive merch, complete with a “The Sauce” media table photo-op.

Once inside the arena, setting a great tone for the night was the opener, The Band CAMINO. Fresh off their new album NeverAlways (Vol. 2), they made the most of their 40 minute set time and packed in 10 great songs that had the crowd dancing and jumping to a mix of what their discography has to offer including “Holly!” and “Do What You Gotta Do” from their most recent album, 4 throwback hits from their 2019 album tryhard, and a personal favorite, “1 Last Cigarette” from their 2021 self-titled album.

If The Band CAMINO hadn’t already gotten the crowd excited, the main event definitely made fighting the maze of barricades worth the effort. 5SOS’s set list delivered a jam-packed and thrilling time for longtime fans and newcomers alike. A good mix of old hits and new favorites, they opened up with “NOT OK,” while emerging from a pink limousine set piece that also holds the drum kit, followed in succession by “No. 1 Obsession,” both from EVERYONE’S A STAR!, and then “Teeth” from their 2020 album CALM. After a high energy opening called “The Peak” by the sectioned title cards that guide the show, the band, led by vocalist Luke Hemmings, spent some time talking with the audience, including a guide on “How to be a star in New York City.”

There is no lack of fan interaction with this show, and this band loves to tell a story as they go. The performance is split into 6 sections – The Peak, The Fall, The Yearning, The Breakup, The Rise, and The Beginning. All are accompanied by mockumentary style satirical video interludes, parodies, and skits that poke fun at viral moments in their career – most prominently whether or not they are a “boyband” –  and paired with relevant songs from all six of the band's albums, as well as features from their solo careers. They’re sure to keep you engaged and along for the ride even in the slowest parts of the setlist, and all-in-all it feels very movie-like in the best ways.

One of the most anticipated moments of the performance though, is by far the surprise song. Fans get to scan a QR code before the show and vote for one of four songs – usually fan favorites that are not frequently played – and in the middle of the set the band will reveal the selection in a briefcase Deal or No Deal style before performing it. However, on the first night of the NYC shows, fans were greeted with four options displaying “???” instead of song titles. The band revealed that they had already picked what they would be performing – and fans were not let down when the briefcase opened to reveal “Teenage Dirtbag,” as this was the first time they performed the Wheatus cover since 2012. 

The night rounded off just as blood-pumping as it started, as the walk-in to the first song of their encore, the title track “Everyone’s A Star!,” was accompanied by the fourth quarter of the Knicks game on the screens and “Knicks in five” chants led by the band themselves. You call tell by how they were swinging around Knicks merch during their second encore song “Youngblood,” drummer Ashton Irwin wearing an “Ewing” jersey for the exit, and lead guitarist Michael Clifford throwing a Knicks hat into the GA floor along with his guitar picks, that they knew exactly how to personalize their performance and get New York City hyped up. This was definitely a show for the books – and a five star tour for the Australian (boy)band. 

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