Paramore

Why was Paramore the breakout band from this year's Warped Tour? As its appearance at Warped's Denver stop demonstrated, the Tennessee-based outfit (currently touring with the Starting Line and Set Your Goals) has plenty of appeal, albeit of the gender-specific variety. While the group didn't deliver a powerhouse set, singer...

By Michael Roberts

November 1, 2007

Audio By Carbonatix

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Why was Paramore the breakout band from this year's Warped Tour? As its appearance at Warped's Denver stop demonstrated, the Tennessee-based outfit (currently touring with the Starting Line and Set Your Goals) has plenty of appeal, albeit of the gender-specific variety. While the group didn't deliver a powerhouse set, singer Hayley Williams provided tween and teen girls with a cute/tough role model straight out of central casting: With her bouncy walk and trendy fashion sense, she came across like the fictional frontwoman of a band on an episode of Gossip Girl. Predictably, dudes in the crowd seemed less than persuaded by "Misery Business" and the other slabs of peppy power pop she and her sonic helpmates churned out. Then again, they had other options; the Warped lineup certainly didn't suffer from a shortage of aggro male singer-shriekers. For young women developing a taste for slightly harder stuff, however, Paramore was virtually the only game in town — and it still is. The group represents a triumph of marketing over music, but a triumph nonetheless.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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