FOR L.A.'s R5, the opportunity to perform again in Vancouver was something they'd been looking forward to since they played at the PNE last summer.
The band was excited about headlining a gig in their own venue where they could meet and greet fans after the show, bassist Riker Lynch told the News.
Riker, along with his siblings Ross, Rydel, and Rocky Lynch and friend Ellington Ratliff make up the southern California pop-rock band.
Although they officially formed in 2008, the Lynch's musical roots stretch all the way back to their days growing up in Littleton, Colo., where they were singing and dancing at an early age.
In 2007 the entire Lynch family moved to California after Riker expressed an interesting in pursuing a career in acting.
"Riker wanted to move to Los Angeles to become an actor and my mom had been hearing all these horror stories of kids moving out there with no money and getting into trouble. So she said we were all going to move out there as a family," says keyboardist and the bands only female member Rydel Lynch.
"I really wanted to go and try and be an actor," Riker adds. "When we first moved out it was really to become actors and then the whole music thing came after that."
In 2010 R5 independently released their first EP titled Ready Set Rock and in 2012 they were signed to Hollywood Records, who also have Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato and Bridgit Mendler on their star-studded teen pop roster.
This past February the band released the four-track EP Loud and the CD went as high as seventh on the iTunes chart for overall sales.
Loud was co-produced and co-written by Emanuel "Eman" Kiriakou and Evan "Kidd" Bogart. Kiriakou has previously worked with Selena Gomez and Hot Chelle Rae, while Bogart won a Grammy for writing Beyoncé's hit "Halo."
Riker, Ross and Rocky wrote one song on the album, "Here Comes Forever."
R5's influences range from the Beatles, Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson.
"We all draw from different musical influences," says drummer Rocky Lynch. "When we are writing we like to draw from older artists."
The band is currently working on another album and planning to release it later this year.
"Our full length album will be coming out in the fall and when we get back from the tour we're going straight to the studio," rhythm guitarist Ross Lynch says.
When it comes to booking tours they have to be mindful of each other's schedules.
"I think the biggest challenge is just scheduling with everyone," drummer Ellington Ratliff says. "It works out because we live together, so we're together most of the time. Ross does work five days a week on Austin and Ally for most of the year."
"We work really well together," Riker says. "There is almost never any arguments or fighting. We have little things here and there when we are discussing shows or music, but for the most part we really get along and we really love each other."
Both Riker and Ross have acting careers. Ross plays Austin Moon on the Disney Channel series Austin and Ally, while Riker plays Jeff Sterling, one of the members of the singing group The Warblers, on the show Glee. He's also appeared on The Today Show and Ellen DeGeneres Show.
R5's performance in Vancouver marked the end of the Canadian leg of their North American tour, which saw them stop in Montreal, Ottawa, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Hamilton, and London, Ontario.
"We absolutely love being on the road together and on stage together," Riker says. "Performing with family is the best because I get to do what I love more than anything in the world with the people that I love."
After their tour the band has plans to head overseas in the summer.
"We're in the process of booking shows in Paris and London. It is most likely going to happen but nothing is confirmed yet," Riker says. "We're really trying to get over there because we have a good amount of fans that want to see us play live. We all love to travel."
Growing up in Colorado the Lynch's were avid hockey fans. "We're all big hockey fans actually and we love the Colorado Avalanche," Rocky says. "We all grew up playing hockey in Colorado, except for Ratliff, and Joe Sakic is one those guys who was awesome - a great hockey player - he was someone we looked up to."
