AS IT IS said goodbye to their sophomore album “okay.” to a room full of family, friends, and strangers alike March 16, 2018 at KOKO London. All odds seemed to be against them two days prior due to a postponed Cardiff date, a severe blood clot in frontman Patty Walters’ shoulder, and a dive bar gig and an acoustic parking lot show saved the day. Twenty four hours later in true AS IT IS form, the boys were on stage in London ready to play the biggest show of their career.
The tour consisted of Grayscale, Like Pacific, and WSTR, who worked together to put on shows for the Cardiff fans after Patty was unable to perform. I had the pleasure of attending an intimate Like Pacific/ Grayscale acoustic show on Thursday in a very well-lit library parking lot in the Welsh Capital. The bands played three songs each, as fans sang along and clapped to the rhythm, camp-fire style. While the circumstances weren’t ideal, the two bands asked fans if they wanted to donate to help get snacks for Patty, they were welcome to do so. Members also mingled with those who came out to the show for a little over an hour. Some fans left early to go catch the free WSTR show that was happening in the city, and others were content enjoying their time with the bands they had been waiting so long to see.
London KOKO is a 1,500 capacity venue, and it was filled to the brim by 6:12pm on Friday night; three minutes before Grayscale opened up the show and three hours before a quite sick Patty Walters would end the “okay.” era in a sling with just as much energy as he had started it. For an American band, Grayscale had a surprisingly large following, with fans screaming their lyrics back at them the second they stepped on stage. Like Pacific was also a fan favorite, as well as WSTR ending off our lineup of openers. It was finally time for the main event.
Patty appeared on stage with a sling on his right arm, “it’s okay not to be okay” written in thick sharpie, portraying the message of the album as well as showing his strength and how even a serious illness wasn’t going to keep him from the biggest show of the band’s career.
Diving right into “Hey Rachel”, the show was in full swing and you’d have no idea that Patty was in a hospital bed for two days. While you could tell that Walter’s was toning it down a little, he was still as energetic as one would hope, interacting with fans in the crowd and dancing on the risers that were placed on stage. The show continued with “Patchwork Love” and “Pretty Little Distance”, paying homage to “okay.” until the band decided to mix it up by playing older songs such as “Concrete” and “Cheap Shots and Setbacks”. Patty politely let the crowd know that even though the band may not enjoy playing these older songs, they understand that they are important to the audience.
I’ve never had the pleasure of attending an AS IT IS performance, and I’m kicking myself for waiting so long to do so. However, there was something special about seeing them for the first time in the U.K., surrounded by friends and family alike. The band left their hearts on their sleeves and brought fans into their world. As they periodically leaned their heads on each others shoulders throughout the night, and surrounded Foley’s drum set during “Often”, one of two songs they played from their very first record; nostalgia poured from the lyrics and pride beamed from their faces as they took in how far they had come in that moment.
Another emotional moment in the set was during “Still Remembering”, an acoustic song just before the encore, where Patty usually plays solo on stage. Since he was unable to play guitar that night, Dallas from Grayscale stood next to him and played. The crowd didn’t stop singing until the two walked off stage in darkness, Patty wiping tears from his eyes; feeling how loved he was in that moment and how successful this band has really become. Just before the encore, he came back on and told the crowd “I had to play for you tonight because this is the only place I’ve ever fucking felt at home”, jumping into title track “Okay” as the crowd cheered back at him, continuing until they announced their last song.
Confetti rained down during “Dial Tones”, covering fans and friends alike. It wasn’t an ending, but a celebration. “Okay.” means a lot to people, and sophomore records are tricky in terms of keeping fans captivated and interested in their new sound. It felt as if we were saying goodbye to a part of AS IT IS; with a third album on the way and the final Vans Warped Tour to look forward to, fans can keep “okay.” in the back of their pocket and await better things to come as the band closed the book on the album that got them to a sold out show at KOKO London.