As the lights dimmed inside Ruoff Music Center, I found myself standing exactly where I promised I would two years earlier: the photo pit.

After watching 5 Seconds of Summer from the crowd in 2023, I left that night with one goal. The next time I saw them, I wanted to experience the show through the lens of my camera.

I’ve considered myself an OG 5 Seconds of Summer fan since the beginning, and I’ll never let anyone forget that I saw them open for One Direction on the Where We Are Tour back in 2014. More than ten years later, I found myself in the car for the 3.5 hour drive from Chicago to Noblesville, Indiana, fueled by Dutch Bros, road trip snacks, and enough adrenaline to last the entire weekend.

The journey started months earlier when I battled the Ticketmaster queue in October 2025. Between finally photographing one of my favorite bands and attending the No. 1 Obsession VIP experience, this wasn’t just another tour stop. It was a full-circle moment.

Before the show, the No. 1 Obsession VIP package gave me the opportunity to attend the band’s soundcheck and fan press conference. The Q&A immediately set the tone for the night.

The band opened with a playful disclaimer that none of the advice they gave should be taken seriously.

The fan questions perfectly matched the energy of the night: heartfelt, chaotic, and completely unfiltered.

When asked which song was the best to experience as an audience member, Calum admitted that “Bad Omens” always looked like the most fun from the stage. He jokingly insisted he wasn’t jealous, though he couldn’t deny how much the crowd seemed to enjoy it.

Michael revealed that his method for folding a fitted sheet is simply turning it into a ball. Another fan asked whether they would rather eat a death wing every day for the rest of their lives or make “Daylight” the secret song for the night.

Michael immediately accepted his fate with the death wings, while Luke joked about creating a death wing Caesar salad.

One of the biggest reactions came when a fan asked what it would take to finally get “Wrapped Around Your Finger” and “If You Don’t Know” onto streaming services.

The answer? Everyone should email Capitol Records.

Michael joked about bringing their manager on stage before assuring fans that the band was actively working on it.

The acoustic soundcheck that followed felt like a gift for longtime fans. The band performed deep cuts “Beside You” and “Long Way Home” from their self-titled debut album.

The Everyone’s A Star Tour isn’t simply a greatest hits set. It’s a theatrical production that takes fans through six different acts, each representing another chapter in the band’s story.

Act I, “The Peak,” launched the show with “NOT OK,” “No. 1 Obsession,” and “Teeth.”

Then came Act II, “The Fall,” featuring “Easier,” “More,” “istillfeelthesame,” and “No Shame.”

Just when the emotional weight started building, 5SOS changed the mood with one of the funniest breaks of the night.

Instead of a traditional intermission, fans watched a PowerPoint presentation documenting how the band attempted to blend in as locals during their time in Noblesville.

According to the presentation, they stole a boat from Morse Reservoir, raced each other in go-karts to determine who had the most star power, explored Indiana’s cornfields, and learned how to “Tarzan” from their close personal friend Brendan.

Nobody expected a Noblesville history lesson from 5SOS. Somehow, they made it work.

The comedy continued with the band’s “lore drop,” where they revisited the infamous viral photo of Ashton Irwin and Luke Hemmings holding what appeared to be a yoga ball.

Michael Clifford’s perfectly timed question—“What is that, gyat?”—referenced the internet’s original confusion about the photo. The yoga ball blended so seamlessly into Luke’s outfit that it created an entirely different kind of internet moment.

Luke’s response? It was “all natural.”

Following the Noblesville takeover, the band accepted another Try Hard Award for “Boyband of the Year.” Based on their reaction, they somehow remain shocked every time despite winning what feels like their 51st award.

Naturally, the celebration transitioned perfectly into “Boyband.”

The second half of the show reminded everyone why 5SOS have remained one of pop-rock’s strongest live acts.

Act III, “The Yearning,” delivered an emotional one-two-three punch with “Bad Omens,” “Ghost of You,” and “I’m Scared I’ll Never Sleep Again.”

Hearing those songs back-to-back felt like a masterclass in emotional devastation. There wasn’t enough room in my seat to curl into the fetal position, but emotionally, that’s exactly where I was.

The next act shifted the spotlight toward each member’s solo work.

Luke Hemmings performed “Starting Line.” Ashton Irwin brought “Have U Found What Ur Looking For.” Calum Hood delivered “Don’t Forget You Love Me.” Michael Clifford closed the section with “enough.”

What made this section memorable wasn’t just hearing their solo songs live. It was watching the other members remain on stage and support each performance.

Rather than feeling like four separate artists taking turns, it felt like a celebration of their bond beyond the band.

Each member has built a successful solo career, but they are still 5 Seconds of Summer first.

Thinking about the day the band may eventually focus solely on those individual paths is something I’m not emotionally prepared for. I’m still mourning One Direction.

Michael’s performance carried even more significance in Indiana, as it the show marked the one-year anniversary of his debut solo album, SIDEQUEST.

Act V brought the tour’s interactive secret song segment.

Before the show, fans scanned a QR code to vote between “End Up Here,” “What I Like About You,” “Why Won’t You Love Me,” and “Heartbreak Girl.”

Once voting closed, a lucky fan was pulled from the crowd and escorted to the photo pit. They opened a briefcase to reveal the fan-voted winner: “Why Won’t You Love Me.”

The final act brought fans back to the band’s earliest years with “English Love Affair,” “Voodoo Doll,” “Don’t Stop,” “Jet Black Heart,” and the song that started it all for so many fans, “She Looks So Perfect.”

While arena audiences received “Waste the Night” earlier in the tour, the amphitheater shows swapped it for “Don’t Stop”. It’s a trade-off I’m still processing.

Throughout the night, cinematic videos connected each act and followed a fictional storyline of the band falling apart, breaking up, finding their way back together, and preparing for their “last show.”

Obviously, it’s part of the production. But even pretending to imagine a future without 5 Seconds of Summer is enough to make any longtime fan uncomfortable.

The videos featured interviews, comedy sketches, and self-aware humor that blurred the line between concert and theatrical experience.

The final pre-encore video delivered a hilarious parody of Nicole Kidman’s iconic AMC commercial. It felt exactly like something only 5SOS could create.

The evening closed with “Everyone’s a Star” and “Youngblood,” sending thousands of fans home on the highest note possible.

As someone who has spent over a decade growing up alongside this band, I couldn’t have imagined a better night.

Beyond finally photographing a band I’ve loved since I was a teenager, Everyone’s A Star captures exactly what has always made 5 Seconds of Summer special. They can make you laugh one minute, emotionally wreck you the next, and leave everyone in the venue feeling like the title of the tour was written specifically for them.

As I packed up my camera and made it back to the hotel for the night before the long drive back to Chicago the next day, I thought about the promise I made myself in 2023.

Standing in the photo pit for one of my favorite bands wasn’t just another concert. It was a milestone in my journey as a photographer and a full-circle moment over a decade in the making.

Turns out, manifestation really does work.