Tour Review: Bayside Holiday Show 12/28/13

                The entire Keep Calm and Carry On team got together at the Starland Ballroom on December 28^th to celebrate 2013’s holiday season with Bayside and friends.  One of many holiday shows this year at Starland, this was something quite special as it was the first show Bayside ever headlined at the popular venue.  Even with that, the band had no trouble filling the place with excited and energetic fans.

                Modern Baseball was all smiles as they kicked off the show, playing songs mostly from the year-old LP Sports as well as their new song “Your Graduation,” the first single off their upcoming album You’re Gonna Miss it All.  Full of good vibes and energy, their set contained all the aspects of watching your best friend’s band play in a basement without the cramped space and bad acoustics.  Sounding great while looking like they were genuinely having the time of their lives, Modern Baseball got the fans going, an entertaining and energetic start to the evening.

                 Up next, A Loss For Words picked up where Modern Baseball left off, absolutely exploding with energy and that holiday spirit.  Most notably, however, were the nice words from vocalist Matt Arsenault about a good friend and marine who recently passed away while deployed.  Following a moment of silence to pay respect, the crowd began chanting “USA” after honoring all of those who couldn’t make it home for the holidays while serving our country.  From there, AL4W jumped right back into the music, playing new and old favorites which made fans of all ages bang their heads.

                Man Overboard opened with a slowed down holiday song before breaking into their set list.  Their pop-punk defenders appeared in full-force, spending the entire set surfing up the barrier for the chance to high-five whichever vocalist they could get close enough to. Personally, I am not a fan of Man Overboard’s recorded material and did not find their live sound impressive either.  Although I will probably never understand their appeal, I can’t dispute that they are a New Jersey fan favorite as kids seem to completely lose it during their set.

                Every time I see Bayside play, I get more and more confident in saying they are one of the best live bands out there.  It is almost effortless in the way each member commands attention without overpowering the other.  2014 marks ten years since Bayside’s release of their first full-length Sirens and Condolences, but these guys still have the energy and the stage presence of the young up-and-comers in the genre.  Yet, in these ten years, Bayside has mastered showmanship and live performance that has kids in high school and adults in their forties alike flocking to venues to see these legends do what they do best.  At one point, vocalist Anthony Raneri joked about the audience getting old, suggesting just how long these guys have been at it while maintaining the ability to keep fans excited about their music for a decade.  As a fan that has been around for 8 years now (it’s actually scary to think about), it really does seem like Bayside hasn’t aged a bit while continuing to build their discography.  After playing a lengthy set with the energy just as high at the end as it was in the beginning, I’m convinced these guys have more stamina than most twenty-year olds.  Standing in front of guitarist Jack O’Shea, I spent half the show in awe over his ability to make every flawless solo look incredibly easy.  While the holiday shows may be over, don’t be discouraged, reader!  Bayside will be headlining an American tour beginning in March as well as opening for Alkaline Trio’s European tour that starts in April so no matter where in the world you might be, be sure to catch these guys in the upcoming months.  You won’t regret it.

 

Show Recap: Lost Tape Collective Holiday Show at First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia, PA

On December 31, the world welcomed the new year, and the first of the second decade of the 21st century. This obviously meant a serious amount of partying to be had, and deservedly so: 2010 was a crazy year, if the 12 Days of Christmas special was any indication. However, for a few hundred kids crammed into a church basement in Philly, the New Years' festivities started a little early, as a who's-who of up and coming pop-punk acts rang, belted, shouted, and screamed in 2011 in a big, big way at the Lost Tape Collective Holiday Show.

Year-End Extra: Best Show Pictures of 2010

This year was a huge year for music, and an even bigger year for concerts, at least for me. I went to more concerts this year than I had in all other years combined, and after looking back at the tours that took place this year, its easy to see why. With new up-and-coming acts headlining over legends, a few breakout artists from 2010 sharing the stage, to quite a few quality-assured sets from the veterans all meshed together to become what was the best year of concerts I've ever been a part of. To recap everything, I put together a "slide show" of sorts showing off all of the places I was this year by displaying the best pictures I managed from all these shows when I wasn't screaming the lyrics to my favorite songs by my favorite bands this year.

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.