2009 was a memorable year for a group of teenagers from Poway, California. That was the year they signed a major label deal with Hollywood Records and, within the twelve months that followed, made their debut on Radio Disney’s Next Big Thing. The band would go on to gain hundreds of thousands of views on videos along with thousands of devoted fans, and release an album filled with fun songs that would change the lives of many. Over the next four years as the teenagers grew up to be adults, high school fans went to college and some members parted ways from the band, a bit of thinking and regrouping would be done.
Earlier this year, Allstar Weekend announced that after their Winter 2013 tour, the band would no longer be playing together as Allstar Weekend except for Warped Tour in the summer. The decision came after Zach, Cameron, and Michael decided that the music they had started to work on needed was too different to be put out under the Allstar Weekend name. Though fans were sad to know this was the last time they could hear Allstar Weekend songs live, they were met with the joy their favorite boys wouldn’t be going away.
As the fans grew up, so did the band and I had a chance to catch up with bassist Cameron Quiseng to talk a bit about the tour and some of the reasoning behind why they decided to make the decision to close this chapter of their musical careers. I, along with the rest of their fan base, can’t wait to hear what’s coming up and if you missed your shot to see them on this tour, there is still a chance to catch them at Warped Tour.
Arin: How has this tour been especially with it being the last Allstar Weekend headlining tour?
Cameron: So this is our last headlining tour. It’s been great; actually, a lot better than I thought it would be. The shows have been packed and the weather has been better than I thought it was going to be considering it’s winter and there’s storms everywhere, but we’ve actually missed them all. There’s been snow the last couple places, but it hasn’t been bad. I’ve been sick for like the last ten days which sucks; but as far as the performance goes and the fans, it’s all been good. It’s been a great tour.
A: Last time I saw you live was over the summer with Honor Society, but [the] last time I talked with the band was closer to two years ago. Obviously, the big news is that the Allstar Weekend chapter is closing and there are new projects around the corner; but what got you to this point?
C: Since the last time you talked to me, a lot of things have changed, obviously, for the good. I think that [the] decisions that we’ve made are going to make just whatever we do musically better. Our next step is going to be, probably, the best step that we’ve taken. I think that after the tour that you saw us on, we went on a little touring hiatus because Zach really wanted to create an album and he wanted to write it all himself, and he wanted to do it all with one producer and he wanted to make sure that it was just this perfect album to put out. So he’s been writing songs for about a year now and the last month been in Nashville recording; and all these songs sound so different than anything Allstar Weekend’s ever put out – like totally different – and we knew that if we put it out under Allstar Weekend, it wouldn’t give the songs justice. People wouldn’t receive it the way that they should because when you hear Allstar Weekend, you instantly think “Disney band;” and even though we’re not, it just is what it is. I’m not saying I have anything against Disney because they gave us a great start and they did nothing but help us out; but at this point in time, it’s time for us to move on and create something new. We want to put this album out really badly, but in order to put it out and to do it justice, we had to end Allstar Weekend. We’re still doing Warped Tour because before we had made the decision, we had already booked Warped Tour and we’re stoked about it. I mean, Warped Tour’s amazing, but if it wasn’t for the fans we wouldn’t even be doing it. Fans have already bought tickets and we want to give them one last shot to come and at least just hang out with us as Allstar Weekend. That’s what Warped Tour’s gonna be; it’s gonna be the last hurrah. Even though this is like the big bang, Warped Tour will be the last time you see any Allstar Weekend songs because after that they’re done. It’s sad, but at the same time, it’s very exciting and we’re all so stoked about the new stuff; and I just hope that later on this year everyone gets to hear it.
A: As a band, you know what is coming up next with the new project, but the fans have no idea. So while you’re on this tour and the fans are going crazy for the old music, are there moments where you stand on stage and think, ‘just wait until you see what’s next?’
C: Yeah. It’s just different and I still enjoy playing these songs. Being back on tour, if there’s one thing that I’ve learned, [it] is that the effect that we have on people. It’s serious; it’s something to be proud of, and it’s something to really acknowledge when you’re on the road and give each person what they deserve. They’re paying to come out to a show and I wanna give them the best time; but, like you were saying about the new stuff, it’s exciting to know that it’s coming, but right now we’re playing Allstar Weekend.
A: A friend and I were looking through some old photos of when I started the website a few years ago and I realized how much I’ve grown up and changed. As a band you have always maintained a great relationship with your fans, so are there times now where you see fans and in the same way they’ve watched you grow up, you feel like you’ve seen them grow up?
C: Oh yeah. Thousands of them. There are thousands of fans that come out to shows that I recognize because I’ve seen them so many times. There are girls that have been to fifteen shows [and] there are girls that have been to FIFTY shows. Even on this tour, I’ve had multiple girls come up and tell me, ‘this is my thirtieth show,’ [or] ‘this is my twentieth show’ and I know because I recognize them, I know who they are and I’ve watched them grow. Not only physically, but their confidence as well. Like when they come up to us, I’ve watched them become less shy and talk more even – just little things.
A: On this tour since it’s the last time you’re playing these songs other than Warped, are there certain songs that you play each night where it’s kind of bittersweet since there’s only about a week left on this tour anyways?
C: It’s kind of like that with most of them. The one that usually hits me the hardest when we play it every night is ‘A Different Side Of Me;’ that was our first single. I remember the making of that song more than any other song that we’ve done. That song was written before we were signed. It was written in our bedroom and then I watched it get produced by a real producer and then that was the first music video we had; and because of that song, [it] was the first time we appeared on the Disney Channel and because of that song, we got our first big recognition. I don’t know; it’s just weird to see how things have happened and when I listen to that song when I play it every night, it just gives me chills thinking about the journey that’s happened because of it.
A: We talked about how involved you are with your fans and part of that is through social media. When you scroll through tweets or check instagram photos, what’s it like to see ones about the concerts and maybe photos that caught moments you didn’t realize were happening?
C: It’s incredible. To me, what always gets me is when I see a picture of somebody and myself and there’s a story behind it. They tell you step-by-step every detail that went on for them – their side of the story – because for me, we have meet and greets every day. We meet people everyday and we just try to be the best that we can be in that moment for that person, but we don’t realize how it affects them until we go online and look and see how they really felt. It’s so quick for us, but for them it lasts a lifetime.
A: Looking back on everything you have learned and accomplished through Allstar Weekend, what will you take away from this and put towards the next project?
C: The whole thing has been a learning process. We’ve been taking it day-by-day, but one thing I’m seeing now more is [that] things don’t last forever so really, truly live in the moment. Don’t worry about what’s going to happen tomorrow because you don’t really know, and don’t worry about what happened yesterday because it’s already over with; so just to really stay in the present with what’s going on with the band and don’t have any expectations.