The Driver Era & VALÉ
July 10, 2025
Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre, Vancouver, BC
On July 10th, American music duo The Driver Era brought their Obsession Tour to Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre in Vancouver, BC. The duo brought the energy, getting the crowd jumping off their feet, coupled with an immersive stage and lighting design.
Opening the show was VALÉ, vocalist and songwriter from Barranquilla, Colombia. The singer got fans dancing early with the infectious Latin-infused pop beats. The incredible live band projected her music across the arena and encompassed the Latin sound. VALÉ introduced a lot of the crowd to her music for the first time, but also threw in her take on classic covers of “Oye como va” and “Hollaback Girl.” She even taught the audience a thing or two about Spanish as she initiated chants and got the crowd to sing her lyrics back to her.
The Driver Era consists of brothers Rocky and Ross Lynch. Both are former members of R5, which included older brother Riker, his sister Rydel, and their friend Ellington Ratliff. As R5 disbanded, the shift to The Driver Era marked a new chapter for the band, both musically and creatively.
Embracing a more independent approach, they adopted the name The Driver Era to symbolize a fresh beginning and the freedom to explore new creative landscapes. The current lineup of touring members of The Driver Era includes Riker on bass, Ellington on percussion, Dave Briggs on drums, and Garrison Jones on keyboards.
As the lights dimmed in the venue, the anticipation kept building as a white curtain covered the view of the stage. As the bass line of “Touch” echoed through the crowd, silhouettes of the band flashed through the curtain as fans screamed the lyrics. Their cheers erupted even louder as the curtain dropped, revealing the full Driver Era band launching into “Better.”
The band had an immersive stage design, with a roadside pay phone, complete with a telephone and a green bench. Ross and Rocky sat and performed the mellower songs in the set, and made for an intimate campfire-like experience. The backdrop doubled as a hidden second stage, where Ross Lynch would slip behind it during the performance. He kept singing as the screen transformed around him—often into a checkerboard or surreal windowscape—adding a dreamlike, immersive visual effect. The lighting design gave off a retro theme, with a lot of neon and 80s-like colours. The theme encompasses that it’s a new “Era” for the Lynch brothers; the Disney days are behind them.
One thing is for sure: Ross Lynch isn’t ashamed of his Disney roots, as the band paid tribute to the Teen Beach Movie era, complete with a crowd sing-along to “Cruisin’ for a Bruisin’.” The crowd went nuts as they were reliving their childhood, singing along and dancing to one of the most iconic Disney Channel Original Movies.
As the night was coming to a close, the band returned for an encore with crowd favourites: “Rumors,” “Get Off My Phone,” and “A Kiss.”
The Driver Era blended rock, electronic, and dance elements into a sound that’s distinctly their own, constantly evolving and only getting sharper with time. The band perfectly engaged the audience through the night with new tunes and a few snippets of iconic covers. Whether they came in as fans or not, it was clear Vancouver left the show with a newfound Obsession with The Driver Era.
