I remember 2002 like it was yesterday. I was still living home back in Valdosta, GA.  I spent most of my time with my friends riding around listening to music. We were a small handful of the punk kids in town. So when it came to music we had to go out of town to see good shows or discover them on collegeclub.com.  Or even just by walking into target and picking up a random cd. The last way was buying albums just because they were on a certain label. The last two are how I found out about Taking Back Sunday and Senses Fail. One day before a show my best friend and I wanted some new music before a show a few hours away in Tallahassee so we stopped by Target on the way out of town. I wasn’t having any luck until I saw a sticker on this cd. The sticker said if you are a fan of these bands you will like this band. I don’t remember the other two bands but the third band was Thursday. If you know this writer then you know that Thursday is my all-time favorite band. So needless to say I got that cd. The band was Taking Back Sunday. I came across Senses in the fact that in 2002 there no pop punk label bigger than Drive Thru so my buddy and I brought everything that came out on that label.  For the next few months my world was turned upside down by these two bands.  Fast Forward 11 years later on consecutive nights they are still around and making good records.

Being As An Ocean/Expire/For The Fallen Dreams/Senses Fail- October 16, 2013 Skullys, Columbus, OH

Funny thing about this show, I was more excited to see Being As An Ocean and Expire than the headliner. I ended up getting there late so I only saw one song by Being As An Ocean. Total bummer. But I really enjoyed the one I heard. After they were done I was outside and all the talk was of the energy and stage presence of them. So at that point I knew I had just missed an awesome set.

The First band I saw was Expire. I recently discovered this hardcore band in the past month or so. The reason was I like to know something about the bands I’m seeing in concert. And they were the only band on this bill that I hadn’t heard when the tour was announced. Upon listening to them I instantly was hooked on them. They have that classic Hatebreed sound that I love so much. That sound transferred live perfectly. Their live show was amazing. The energy they had was just what any hardcore band should have. The other aspect that stood out about them live was the passion of their front man. He is one of those people that were meant to be on stage.  I look forward to seeing them live again.

The next band up was For The Fallen Dreams. This is a band I was a little familiar with. I saw them live a few years back and was not really into them, simply because they are that typical “risecore” band. However on this night my feelings on them changed. They were by far the best band that night. They were like a well-oiled machine. This is a band that feeds off of each other and the crowd. Even though I heard lots of complaining, a good number of the crowd seemed to enjoy them. The one element that stood out about them was they interacted well with the crowd. It was also during their set that I witnessed one of the most brutal pits I have seen this year. It was insane.

The last band of the evening was Senses Fail.  This is a band that helped shape my musical landscape 10 years ago. I remember thinking this band is great. Then I finally saw them live and my feelings on them changed. They were not the same band live. I feel there are two types of bands; studio bands and live bands. Senses Fail is a studio band. I have seen them a number of times in hopes that they would be better live and every time it is the same outcome, they are not. Buddy’s vocals do not transfer well live. That is the main issue with them. And on this night they sounded out of tune. Even with their poor performance I stayed for most of their show just to hear the songs I enjoy by them; “Lady In A Blue Dress”, “NJ Falls Into The Atlantic” and “Bite To Break Skin”. These are songs that I use to listen to over and over so it is always good to hear them live. They have a special place in my heart. It is because of these songs that I keep going to see this band live. And the fact that hopefully they will bring “Eight One Seven” out of retirement.

Lawskof/Transit/Polar Bear Club/Taking Back Sunday-October 17^th 2013, Newport Music Hall, Columbus, OH

Night two of my stroll down memory lane week started with Lawskof, a local band from Cleveland. This was my first time hearing this band and they were very impressive.  It is bands like them that give the state of Ohio a good rep when it comes to music. The energy that this young band has is so contagious. Their front man reminded me a little of a young Bert McCracken from The Used. This is a band I will happily go and see again. They have a new fan in me. If want to check them out, there music is available for free on Bandcamp.

The next band up was Transit. This is a band that is very near and dear to my heart. So whenever they are playing anywhere near me I make it a point to see them. This performance was not one of their best I have seen them. However it was not their fault. The sound at the Newport was off that night. Even with this the boys in Transit played through like nothing was wrong. Their front man Joe sung his heart out and it showed. He and his band mates were having fun. And that is how it should be. Their set list was a good mix of the last two albums which was okay with me. The highlight was hearing “Young New England” live for the first time. That song has a special place in my heart for a few reasons. One is Boston is my favorite city in the US. The other is their new album came out a few weeks after the Boston Marathon. And the first time I heard the song that is what came to mind.

Polar Bear club took the stage next and started off with a song from their new album that comes out next month. Based on that song nothing has changed, this is a band that will continue to write great songs. The sound for them was also off but it had no effect on them, they played on.  This was evident in the next song, “Living Saints”. These guys from upstate NY rocked it hard doing that song and continued that momentum for the rest of their set. It was set that was a good mix of songs from their entire catalog. Polar Bear Club is a band that gets better and better every time I see them.  And tonight was no exception.

What may be the performance of the year for me took place next. Taking Back Sunday is a band that prides themselves on having a great show. On this night they were almost flawless. The only blimp was front man Adam Lazzara who is the master of the microphone swing actually missed one during the set. I have seen this band a number of times but on this night they were the kings of the world. Everything was on point that needed to be.  The song selection was great. They played songs from every album in their catalog. The banter between Adam and lead guitarist John Nolan was magnificent.  The energy was amazing. One of the things I like the most about Taking Back Sunday is the call and response style they use in their songs. And to hear that live is always a treat. This is a band that will be around for a long time, simply because of their work ethic and the ability to write great songs.