Walking up to The Belasco on July 18th, there was already anticipation in the air. Ashton Irwin’s solo concert debut had been long awaited. His newest album Blood on the Drums, had dropped the day before, and many fans said they were waiting to hear it for the first time live. Irwin, also the drummer of Australian band 5 Seconds of Summer (aka 5SOS), had nothing short of a tremendous turnout for his first solo show. Doors opened to the venue, and as everyone settled in, there was something that just could not go unnoticed. There appeared to be an additional drum kit on the stage, branded with Irwin’s official logo. This alone started more eager chatter.

When the lights finally dimmed and the music started, it was almost difficult to hear anything but the screams of fans who had waited years, if not over a decade, for this moment. Then, Irwin, fully dressed in his best, took the stage to open with the lead single, “Straight To Your Heart”. Immediately, and throughout the rest of the show, fans did not miss a beat. Every word was returned to him with Cheshire Cat grins, cheers, and applause. For long-time fans of Irwin’s solo career, particularly fans of his debut album, Superbloom, there were several treats in the set list. With Superbloom being one of my own all-time favorite albums, I wasn’t the only one feeling the excitement. The album was released in 2020 during Covid, making this show a debut for more than just Blood on the Drums and Ashton Irwin himself.

There were many heartfelt moments between Irwin and attendees; he never shied away from interacting with his audience, even when hitting a high note. Fans of 5 Seconds of Summer were ecstatic to see bassist Calum Hood and frontman Luke Hemmings in attendance, standing side stage. When Irwin noticed them cheering him on, he motioned to them from his chest, a grin covering his face.

Irwin, who spent most of his career behind the drums, was now getting a taste for the range of the stage. He delivered an electric, high energy performance. In a lighthearted moment, he tipped his hat to Hemmings, referring to his years of on stage athleticism, saying he wasn’t sure how Hemmings did it. Several times throughout the night he would jump behind his kit, drumming through high powered tracks from Blood on the Drums, sending the crowd into an awestruck frenzy. After all, Ashton Irwin is Ashton Irwin, we knew not to expect anything less than a few mind-blowing solos.

Later in the show, Irwin took a moment to stand alone on stage with only his guitar. He serenaded us all with a mesmerizing performance of “California Holds Her Breath”, and in that moment we all were holding ours. As the song neared an end, he opened space for the crowd to sing back to him. A chorus from the floor to the balcony repeated the title line to him, again and again in a moment to be remembered.

As Irwin closed with “Have U Found What Ur Looking For?”, a throwback and spectacular ending note, he threw numerous drumsticks to the audience. The drumsticks were decorated in layers of dripping red paint, symbolic of the new album. Fans returned the favor, showering the stage with roses, symbolic of the album’s thorny imagery and their adoration for the newfound frontman.