Boys Like Girls Delivered the Ultimate Anniversary Tour in Anaheim May 3, 2026

I just relived 2006 all over again. Hearing “Love Drunk,” “The Great Escape,” and “Hero/Heroine” live flipped some kind of switch in my brain. Suddenly, I was transported back to burned CDs, Myspace playlists, and screaming these songs in my room. Boys Like Girls are currently celebrating the anniversaries of their first two albums, Boys Like Girls and Love Drunk, on The Soundtrack of Your Life Tour. The band sold out two nights at the House of Blues Anaheim, and they brought along Arrows in Action to open the night with direct support from I Don't Know How, But They Found Me.

Arrows in Action kicked things off to a crowd already packed against the barricade. Fans screamed as the trio walked onstage and opened with “Light Like You” from their current album, I Think I’ve Been Here Before. It immediately became obvious just how many fans they had in the room because the crowd sang every single word back at them. The band consists of Victor Viramontes-Pattinson on vocals and guitar, Matt Fowler on guitar, and Jesse Frimmel on drums. Their riffs are infectious and impossible not to move to. Every song felt built for summer drives with the windows down. Seriously, this is a band worth keeping an eye on.

The energy climbed higher when iDKHOW took the stage. The screams got louder and the room felt restless as if everyone knew something fun was about to happen. Vocalist Dallon Weekes opened the set with “Nobody Likes the Opening Band,” which had me laughing because of how relatable it was. The song was catchy, self aware, and charming with Weekes making it clear it was more of a love letter to opening bands rather than an insult.

iDKHOW has had a fascinating history, originally beginning as a secret project before evolving from a solo act into a duo and eventually back into a solo project. Currently, Weekes tours with Anthony Purpura on bass, Isaac Paul on guitar, and Ronnie Strauss on drums. Watching them live made it obvious why the fanbase is so devoted. Fans screamed every lyric while Weekes constantly interacted with the crowd feeding off the room’s energy.  Their indie pop sound mixed with heavy 80s influences made the set a lot of fun to watch.

Then it was finally time. The boys were back.

The stage was lined with old box TVs, and moments before the set started, a team huddle played through the speakers and across every screen on stage. It was strangely touching before the chaos about to unfold. John Keefe settled on the drum kit following heavy cheers. Gregory James followed on bass, along with Jamel Hawke on guitar and the legendary Martin Johnson on vocals. The band opened the night by performing Love Drunk front to back, and the second those opening notes hit, I was thrown straight back in time to the first time I heard that album.

Martin Johnson sounded phenomenal all night, but honestly, the crowd may have been even louder. The second the “na na na na” intro of “Love Drunk” started, the entire venue exploded. Every lyric was screamed back at the stage with all the passion and emotion that comes from growing up with these songs. Boys Like Girls have now been a band for 20 years, which feels unreal to even type out. I remember hearing them constantly on the radio growing up, and never imagined that one day I would be standing in front of them photographing their show.

After finishing Love Drunk, the band took a short intermission before diving straight into their self titled debut album Boys Like Girls from front to back. And what better way to start than with “The Great Escape”?

The House of Blues transformed into the House of Dance. The crowd completely lost it. People were headbanging, jumping, screaming every word, and a few crowd surfers appeared, clearly understanding the assignment. Song after song felt like another punch of nostalgia as the band ripped through hit after hit while the audience carried entire choruses on their own. Anniversary tours always feel special, but this one felt different. It felt like reconnecting with a piece of yourself you forgot was still there.

The band even did an encore medley of both “The Great Escape “ and “ Love Drunk.” Honestly, when else are you ever going to hear both songs played twice in the same night? By the end of the show, I already found myself hoping I’ll get to see them again for the 25th and 23rd anniversaries so I can scream these songs twice all over again.