Ross and Rocky Lynch perform at USD

Students bask in the performance’s ‘afterglow’ 

MEI FLORY / MANAGING EDITOR / THE USD VISTA

It’s highly unusual to see Torero Way packed with hundreds of students at 9 p.m. on a Friday night. But the annual Olé Fest, hosted by the Torero Program Board (TPB), created a wave of excitement among USD students, as the headliner stepped on stage: The Driver Era. Comprised of brothers Ross and Rocky Lynch, the musical duo arrived in San Diego and performed on USD campus just outside of the Hahn University Center (UC) on March 31.

Ross Lynch, who is best known for starring as one of the title characters in the Disney show “Austin & Ally,” was formerly in a band with his siblings, who were known as R5 from 2009-2018. In 2018, he and his brother formed The Driver Era, after R5 disbanded, according to an article from VMan. Their first single, “Preacher Man,” was the last song of the night during Olé Fest.  

Caption/cred: Students gathered to watch Tunewave, Phony Ppl and the Driver Era on campus for this spring’s Ole Fest. Mei Flory/The Vista

The excitement leading up to The Driver Era’s performance began with their sound check at 4 p.m. USD students gathered after their class to watch, with several staying behind to camp out in front of the stage so they could save their spots for that night. 

USD junior Teriza Camaisa attended the sound check. She loved watching The Driver Era up close and got there early to get a spot up front.

“I’ve never been [barricaded] for any concert before so it was definitely a new experience for me. I also remember listening to R5’s music all the time in middle school. It’s cool to see how their music has changed,” Camaisa said. 

To start off the show, the USD student band known as Tunewave walked onto the stage. USD seniors Nick Brumbach (from USD Radio) and Diego Hernandez, along with USD alum Henry Kiley, performed songs from their albums “Self-Reflections” and “Molecules in Motion.” Toward the end of their set, Hernandez made sure to show his gratitude for his friends and fellow Toreros who share his major. 

“Shout out to the biochem department,” Hernandez announced.  His acknowledgement was met with praise and cheers from everyone who came to support all of Tunewave. 

Following Tunewave’s electrifying performance came the New York-based music group Phony Ppl. With five members in total, the band played another high-energy set, featuring their hit “Fkn Around” and songs from their album “Euphonyus.” Many students appreciated the band’s kindness, as lead singer Elbie Thrie even offered to take photos with fans after their set ended. 

USD first-year MylaGrace Zapanta expressed how impressed she was with Phony Ppl’s upbeat energy. 

“My favorite part was probably Phony Ppl, they knew how to hype up the crowd. They were very interactive and confident while up on the stage,” Zapanta explained.

Then came the moment everyone had waited for. The Driver Era walked onto the stage and greeted USD students, followed by loud cheers from all along Torero Way. The applause didn’t stop, even when Ross Lynch confused the USD Toreros for the SDSU Aztecs. 

“Congrats on the final four!” the singer shouted to the crowd. Lynch was referencing SDSU’s men’s basketball team advancing to the finals during March Madness. The USD student body quickly corrected him and soon had the duo shouting “USD” following the humorous exchange. TPB even provided Ross Lynch with a blue and white cowboy hat with “Toreros” written along the rim to confirm his affiliation with USD. Another exchange occurred when The Driver Era brought up two students to play pong (without the beer). Two USD students not only got the opportunity to not only take a picture with the duo, but also to run through a round of pong, while the audience cheered them on. 

The peak energy of the performance occurred when Ross Lynch took his shirt off. For anyone with TikTok, one could easily find dozens of videos of Ross performing without a top. The crowd, especially those at the front, shouted “Take it off” for the first half of the set. The Driver Era took notice and responded. 

“Y’all seen the TikToks, huh?” Rocky Lynch called out fans. 

“I’m making you wait for it,” Ross Lynch added.

Near the end of the set, Lynch gave in, with an increase in screams from the audience. The Driver Era finished their performance on a strong note, playing hit songs such as “Low,” “Afterglow” and “Preacher Man.” Earlier in the night, fans sang along to other popular songs, including “A Kiss,” “flashdrive” and “Natural.”

USD junior Jason Reed has been a fan of Ross Lynch ever since “Austin & Ally.” He also attended the 4 p.m. sound check and thought the entire set was incredible.

“Ross Lynch proved to us why he stole all of our hearts when he was on ‘Austin & Ally’ and ‘Teen Beach Movie’ with his incredible voice and performing skills. Rocky was also an absolute vibe rocking on guitar the whole set,” Reed said. 

By the end of the night, one of the security guards reported that nearly 1,000 students attended the event, which is significantly more than the 500 TPB and security were expecting. Fans of The Driver Era undoubtedly loved seeing the duo perform at USD, as did most students who attended this year’s Olé Fest.