Frank Iero and the Future Violents (with support from Reggie and The Full Effect) performing at Crowbar in Tampa, FL on June 13, 2019. All photos taken by Kirsten Kurtz.
The Stolen | Columbus
The Stolen (with support from Something Else, Last Youth, and States & Capitals) performing at Big Room Bar in Columbus, OH on June 12, 2019. All photos taken by Kayla Kreller.
New Found Glory | Buffalo
After being a band for over two decades New Found Glory showed us they still have it in them to put on a killer show. We got to catch them while on their From the Screen to Your Stereo Tour at the sold-out Buffalo, New York stop.
Before we even got to the see their set we were treated to a stacked opening lineup and first up was Doll Skin. I’ve always wanted to catch this band live but always missed it while at various Warped Tour stops and they didn’t disappoint one bit. With strong vocals, powerful instruments and foremost the message of empowerment and feminism combines together to create a perfect formula. To add to that, all the members equally have such strong stage presence making the performance even more memorable.
Shortly after, The Early November took the stage who really surprised me with their set. I had no prior knowledge of this band or what exactly their sound was like, but I enjoyed every moment of the time they were on stage for from the moment they opened up with “Narrow Mouth” to the closing chords of “I Want to Hear You Sad.” Their music is a perfect mix of melancholy lows and heavy highs, producing incredible live moments of udder chaos, heartfelt singing along and pure just living in the moment. The passion you hear in the lyrics and instrumentals is matched perfectly with their performance on stage.
Next up was Real Friends, a band I have been catching shows for since I was in middle school. Despite seven years passing since I saw them for the first time, their energy and excitement is still embedded in their performance. The spot-on vocals and perfected technique on instruments combined with that energy made them a force to be reckoned with. It also influenced the crowd to actually move and start some pits to become amped up and more than ready for New Found Glory to take the stage.
Now came the moment the packed Town Ballroom had been waiting for, New Found Glory to take the stage. But before we were graced with their presence, they had to set the stage to look exactly like the cover of From the Screen to Your Stereo 3 which was accompanied with old soundtrack music from various movies that would create a sing along in the crowd. On stage was risen circus type blocks with NFG painted on, functioning popcorn machines and even an announcer voice to give a countdown every couple of minutes to let people know when they were going on.
The moment they stepped on the stage the crowd erupted with cheers, and smiles were seen across the whole venue. With a twenty-two song setlist with costume changes and all the band immediately got into starting the set. One thing that really stood out to me was despite them being a pop-punk band and playing a good portion of their original music, they still had this theatrical, whimsical element to their set. The new album aided this in their performance for sure which was something to really experience live.
When they entered with “Eye of the Tiger,” lead vocalist Jordan was fully decked out in the same boxing gear we saw in their music video for the song. This was the same for when they performed “Let It Go,” and we got to see the lovely Elsa join the stage and rock it out. This same method followed for “This is Me” where we got to see circus costumes matched with lighting to fit the mood. Also, I can’t forget “The Power of Love,” which begun the small encore part of this set. I was so excited to hear this live and seeing how they treated the intro to it was executed excellently. They mimicked car headlight movement with the tire screeched audio and commentary from Back to the Future which fully immersed you in this song.
Their original songs also didn’t disappoint live one bit and the smiles you could see on the various ages of crowd members as they belted the lyrics to “Truck Stop Blues,” “Sincerely Me” and “My Friends Over You” really showed what this band is all about. For being a band that’s been around for a while, it creates this space for new and old fans to enjoy music in the moment and have a night they won’t forget. Throughout the night I got to interact with some people there and I got to talk to a family where the parents went to New Found Glory shows when they were younger, and now they’re bringing their kids to the shows who enjoy the music just as much.
New Found Glory have perfectly formulated an astounding show that I wouldn’t miss if you can. Various stops are selling out so I would get your tickets soon to experience this night. Tour dates are listed below and tickets can be purchased here.
JUN 16 Detroit, MI @ St. Andrew's Hall
JUN 18 Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian Room at Old National Centre
JUN 19 St. Louis, MO @ Delmar Hall
JUN 21 Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater
JUN 22 Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
JUN 23 Chicago, IL @ Concord Music Hall
JUN 25 Lawrence, KS @ Granada Theater
JUN 26 Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
JUN 27 Salt Lake City, UT @ Union Event Center
JUN 29 Berkeley, CA @ The UC Theatre
JUN 30 Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues
JUL 02 Los Angeles, CA @ The Belasco Theater
JUL 03 San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
JUL 05 Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
JUL 06 Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
JUL 08 Dallas, TX @ Gas Monkey Live!
JUL 09 Austin, TX @ Emo's
JUL 10 Houston, TX @ House of Blues
JUL 11 New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
JUL 13 Orlando, FL @ House of Blues
JUL 14 Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution Live
Words and photos by Lindsay Neilson.
Jon Bellion | Philadelphia
Jon Bellion (with support from Lawrence and Marc E. Bassy) performing at The Met in Philadelphia, PA on June 12, 2019. All photos taken by Cami Liberty.
Twenty One Pilots | Atlantic City
Twenty One Pilots (with support from Bear Hands) performing at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ on June 8, 2019. All photos taken by Cami Liberty.
Vans Warped Tour 25th Anniversary | Cleveland
Vans Warped Tour 25th Anniversary featuring Peter McPoland and the Haps, Emery, The Slackers, Meg & Dia, Hawthorne Heights, We The Kings, Chali 2na & Cut Chemist, and Simple Plan in Cleveland, OH on June 8, 2019. Photos taken by Kayla Kreller.
Lion Babe | Atlanta
Lion Babe performing at The Loft in Atlanta, GA on June 11, 2019. All photos taken by Chandler Bunzol.
Nick Murphy | Vancouver
Nick Murphy (with support from Beacon) performing at Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver, BC on June 9, 2019. All photos taken by Kiri Anne.
Go West Fest | Los Angeles
Go West Fest featuring Troye Sivan, Charli XCX, Allie X, Carlie Hanson, Chika, Dorian Electra, Leland, Pussy Riot, and Daya in Los Angeles, CA on June 6, 2019. All photos taken by Alyssa Yung.
Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties | Atlanta
Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties (with support from Diva Sweetly) performing at The Masquerade in Atlanta, GA on June 5, 2019. All photos taken by Emily Harman.
Citizen + Knuckle Puck | Portland
Citizen and Knuckle Puck (with support from Oso Oso and Hunny) performing at Wonder Ballroom in Portland, OR on June 4, 2019. All photos taken by Ian Enger.
Coheed and Cambria | Asbury Park
Coheed and Cambria performing at The Stone Pony Summer Stage in Asbury Park, NJ on June 4, 2019. All photos taken by Jeffrey Coverstone.
Walk Off The Earth | Philadelphia
Walk Off The Earth (with support from Gabriela Bee) performing at The Fillmore in Philadelphia, PA on June 1, 2019. All photos taken by Bre Cura.
No Vacation | Tampa
No Vacation (with support from Okey Dokey) performing at Crowbar in Tampa, FL on June 1, 2019. All photos taken by Kirsten Kurtz.
The Unlikely Candidates | Arlington
The Unlikely Candidates performing at Levitt Pavilion in Arlington, TX on May 31, 2019. All photos taken by Alexandra Thomas.
Henry Jamison | Philadelphia
Henry Jamison (with support from Saint Sister) performing at Boot & Saddle in Philadelphia, PA on May 31, 2019. All photos taken by Bre Cura.
FRENSHIP | Chicago
FRENSHIP performing at Thalia Hall in Chicago, IL on May 29, 2019. All photos taken by Jack Pontarelli.
Cub Sport | Philadelphia
Cub Sport (with support from Minor Poet) performing at The Foundry in Philadelphia, PA on May 28, 2019. All photos taken by Cami Liberty.
The Japanese House | Atlanta
The Japanese House performing at Terminal West in Atlanta, GA on May 23, 2019. All photos taken by Emily Harman.
Greta Van Fleet | Rochester
Greta Van Fleet rocked the small, quiet town of Henrietta, New York on Wednesday, May 22nd while on their March of the Peaceful Army Tour. The night was sold-out with high expectations to be met, which of course happened. The four-piece young group is formed of twin brothers Josh and Jake Kiszka, their younger brother Sam Kiszka, and their longtime family friend Danny Wagner.
The Dome that night was filled with an energy I haven’t felt at a show in a very long time, which would only skyrocket the moment their set begun. Everyone of all ages in the crowd erupted with cheers the moment the group walked on stage as “My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me)” by David Ruffin belted over the speakers. Josh welcomed the crowd to their set at this point by throwing roses into the crowd for fans to catch. Throughout their whole set you could see those lucky fans clutching them as they screamed every lyric.
After the official welcome, the band began to play “The Cold Wind,” which is off their debut studio album, Anthem of the Peaceful Army. Opening with this song further defined how talented these young musicians are and that their stage presence is unmatchable. Josh owned the stage as he effortlessly hit all his notes while Jake and Sam performed powerful riffs that shot a thrilling feeling throughout your entire body. This band will for sure make you want to dance along. Danny sealed the package by having hypnotizing beats backing up the sound. This would continue to grow throughout their whole set as they became more and more passionate about the music they were playing.
Following “The Cold Wind” was “Highway Tune,” which elevated the energy in the Dome to an immense level. Jake starts the song off with intriguing guitar riffs which got the crowd hyped up to hear the rest of the song. Danny then joins in with rhythmic cymbal hits as Josh lets out his signature scream. After a moment of silence, the group joins in all together to create the classic, yet alternative sound, that the band is known for. The crowd becomes visibly rowdy as the electric sound shoots through the venue and the three brothers dance around the stage to the iconic beats. Despite the great opportunity for amazing stage moments in this song, my favorite has to be when Jake and Sam play the guitar and bass in unison almost like they are battling in front of one another.
After that song ended, “Black Smoke Rising” followed. This was another song the crowd looked beyond excited to hear the moment the beginning chords rained through the venue. This song really showcased the talent behind Jake, the guitarist. There were moments in the song where he would elevate his guitar vertically and play the notes flawlessly. This portrayed very well how effortlessly, and beautifully, Jake plays his instrument.
Their set mostly consisted of songs from Anthem of the Peaceful Army and Black Smoke Rising. One of the most wholesome moments in the set that I noticed was as I watched them perform “You’re the One.” You could identify people in the audience holding each other close and swaying to the passionate lyrics within the song. During “Flower Power” we also got to see the extended talent of Sam as he satisfyingly smashed on his keys. They also have creative covers in their set, such as “Watch Me” by Labi Siffre and “The Music is You” by John Denver.
Being able to finally catch one of their shows showed me how truly talented the guys are behind Greta Van Fleet. Multiple stops on the North American leg of tour are sold out as it comes to an end, but they already have multiple dates and festivals planned for the future. I fully recommend on stopping in on one of their shows for a memorable, enjoyable, and fun night.
Words and photos by Lindsay Neilson.