Back in the golden age of the 2000s, pop punk went through a stage of finding something new to add to the rapidly tiring formula.
There were genre-mixing artists that stepped into the ring where they pushed their audiences to listen to things they otherwise wouldn’t, and then there were the bands who added elements that enhanced the sound that the fans were already obsessed with. There were two kings of the latter category… Something Corporate with their addition of piano, and tonight’s headliner Yellowcard who were even braver having a full time violinist in the ranks.
20 years ago, Yellowcard released their now classic album ‘Ocean Avenue’ into the wild and tonight we’re going to be 20 years younger while reliving it.
The first act in the stacked, three-band bill are This Wild Life – an acoustic rock duo from Long Beach, CA. It’s lucky that there’s only two of them as any more and they wouldn’t fit on the stage crammed full of drum kits, keyboards, flight cases and other instruments – although occasionally joined by a token bassist.
Self-described as the “Hot Topic Mumford and Sons”, the charisma is dripping off these guys. Front man Kevin Jordan can easily be compared to Dan ‘Soupy’ Campbell from The Wonder Years with the confidence and conviction in which he addresses the audience. It’s this confidence that has them eating out of the palm of his hand in no time… especially when they break out the cover of ‘Cute Without The E’ by Taking Back Sunday (come back to Scotland, TBS!).
Their own music is smooth, acoustic emotional pop. I wouldn’t even compare them to another band. The vibe I get is when you listen to the ‘Punk Goes Acoustic’ albums from back in the day. The songs are softer, but still have the edge and angst that their electric counterparts would have. Definitely worth spinning when it’s cold out and you’re curled up on the couch with the drink of choice, or seeing in a tiny venue if you want to sing and cry along.
Main support is Story of the Year who I know from monster hit ‘Until The Day I Die’ and that song, ladies and gentlemen… is a bop. If the opener was a gentle lullaby, designed to get you feeling warm and full of feels, Story of the Year are the claw end of a hammer triggering your fight and flight response. Jagged, old school, post hard core emo at its triple purified, finest.
The instruments are spot on and sound massive… drums especially, but my God… those vocals. The screams you’d expect from the apex screamo bands of the Warped Tour days, that switch to clean, melodic emo mid lyric. The energy that they’re pushing from the stage into the crowd is insane and I desperately want to see them headline here again soon. Not only because that energy makes for a more entertaining show… but because it helps with making us feel younger tonight and that’s the point of these nostalgic anniversary tours.
With the performance of ‘Till The Day I Die’ as the final song of the set, you’d think they were headlining with the audience reaction. Story of the Year have last year’s album ‘Tear Me To Pieces’ which gives me hope that even more music and tours are coming. Special heroic mention to the guy who had an actual Zippo lighter out during the “get your phone lights up” ballad moment. An actual lighter!
Yellowcard are led onto the stage by frontman Ryan Key… which is unusual in a world where the singer is the last out of the wings – coordinating with guitarist Ryan Mendez for the intro of ‘Way Away’, before launching into the ferocious number and igniting the crowd. The casual Yellowcard listener doesn’t actually realise how sharp the teeth of this band are until they see them live. It’s not all Michelle Branch covers!
We’re celebrating the ‘Ocean Avenue’ album tonight but it’s not a flat run through of it. The first act of the show is fast and aggressive, which I personally find outstanding. Violinist Sean Mackin is all over the stage, interacting with the crowd between riffs that I presume are hard to play so perfectly. The lights are often the unsung hero of concerts and tonight is a perfect example – vibrant washes, strobes, and spot lights moving on stage and off. Accents in the songs being lifted by audience blinders which always makes my heart skip since I am now part of the show too!
There’s a genuine, heartfelt addressing to the crowd thanking them for being there and how even the band weren’t sure tonight would happen. That was a lovely connection and if they’re reading this… you’re welcome.
The set continues with mostly peaks and the occasional lull such as the sublime ‘One Year, Six Months’. We also get new tune ‘Better Days’ and a confirmation of new tracks on the way. As exciting as that is, it really can’t beat finishing off with ‘Ocean Avenue’ and that’s what we got. An absolute pinnacle of the night.
As we’re coming to the final straits of 2024, this show – thanks to the supports as well as the headliner – is definitely in the running for top 5 at least. Maybe you could convince me to go for top 3 if I think hard about it.
Photos by Catching Light Photography
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