Show Recap: You, Me, and Everyone We Know at Maxwell's Bar and Grill (Hoboken, NJ)

As you walk through the doors of Maxwell's Bar and Grill in Hoboken, New Jersey, the thought that will likely first come to mind is "there's no way they're having a concert here." Many people had congregated to the hole in the wall to take a load off from a hard day's work, and the quaint little place was buzzing, especially on a Tuesday. As I arrived, I looked for the first person who resembled a waitress and asked her for help. "Are you here for the show?" she asked, and I nodded. She pointed to the right of the bar area, and we were on our way. It was then I learned that Maxwell's is the venue-equivalent of a mullet: business in the front, party in the back. Let me write this sentence to make sure you realize the emphasis on party. And thankfully, the party was a live one; what were we celebrating, you ask? That's a tough question. For one, we were celebrating the release of  You, Me, and Everyone We Know's debut full-length, Some Things Don't Wash Out. But on the other hand, we were celebrating the re-birth of pop punk.

Up first was This Condition, who were added to the lineup of the "Can We Do Laundry at Your House? Tour" for a three-show run through New York and New Jersey. The band combined their stellar musicianship with quirky Hellogoodbye-esque lyrics and choruses to give the crowd something to move to. They did an excellent job of getting the crowd involved, which is rare for an opening band to do, but there was plenty of fun to be had throughout the band's brief set.

To add to the emphasis of the show's fun aspect, Take Cover took the stage next. The band was the only one on the tour not to be from the East Coast (they hail from Minnesota), but they seemed well-versed in the ways of a typically energetic New Jersey show. The band's blend of pop-punk was upbeat and energetic, and they had the live show to perfectly compliment that. The band's songs were easy to remember lyrics from, and many fans began to sing along to once they acquired a taste for the band. Their set highlight was, by far, a cover of Jimmy Eat World's "The Sweetness." While covers are really overdone these days and covering Jimmy Eat World is almost like lighting a Bible on fire, the band were able to pull the song off nicely, staying true to the original very well. While their set was highlighted by a cover, there was still enough from Take Cover's set was more than enough to give me some interest in the band for the future.

While it can be argued that pop-punk has gone to the neon-clad scenesters like Forever the Sickest Kids and Mayday Parade, it goes without argument to say that Man Overboard have been defending the better, less glossy aspects of it. With a simplistic approach and big sounding live show, there is plenty on the band's phenomenal full-length debut Real Talk to enjoy. While they were the second band on the card, it wouldn't be outlandish to say that 45% of the crowd at Maxwell's was there to see MO. Included in that number was Senses Fail's Buddy Nielson, who has shown his unabashed love for the band on his blog for Alternative Press and his postings on Absolutepunk.net as well. With so much respect swirling around the band, they sure did deliver. A great set was turned in, and I can wait to see Man Overboard defend pop-punk in the years to come.

I will never be bashful or shy about my love for You, Me, and Everyone We Know. They've been a favorite of mine ever since So Young, So Insane graced me with its presence in 2008, and given the band's illustrious, drama-riddled career, it's a small miracle that they got to this point, given their share of near break-ups and breakdowns. Regardless, Ben Liebsch and Co. took the stage for about an hour and fifteen minutes, and relished every moment of it. The band's set spanned their two EPs (So Young, So Insane and Party for the Grown and Sexy), and did a great job of sprinkling in the prime cuts from their new album Some Things Don't Wash Out (including the title track, which opened the set, and "Bigger Point of Pride"). The energy was high, the crowd was rowdy, and there wasn't a better place to be that night than in the back of Maxwell's, celebrating the (hopefully) continued success of not just YMAEWK, but all of the stellar bands that blazed the Maxwell's stage. And while the show was intended to celebrate the release of Some Things Don't Wash Out, we also got to celebrate the revival of pop-punk from the neon-clad madness its turned into, with You, Me, and Everyone We Know and Man Overboard emerging to lead the way.