Saturday, November 9th 2024, at Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida, A Day to Remember from Ocala, returns to Florida on their next to last stop of their "Couple More Shows 2024" fall tour. They brought along special guests August Burns Red and Stand Atlantic for a night filled with high energy, passion and relentless metalcore riffs. Daily's Place, known for its open-air setting and stellar acoustics, provided the perfect backdrop for A Hardcore Night to Remember.
Opening up with "appetizers" for the night was Stand Atlantic, an Australian pop-punk band from Sydney, known for their fun and dynamic performances. I was ready to see it myself for the first time and they delivered. Though their set was brief, they certainly packed a punch, with tracks like "Switchblade" and "Deathwish" they certainly energized the crowd. The band's upbeat, anthemic sound helped set the tone for the evening, drawing in the audience with their catchy melodies and solid stage presence. They have definitely found a home in my playlists with the performance they displayed that night.
Next "on the fire" was August Burns Red (see what I did there?), who completely owned the stage with their trademark blend of technicality and brutal breakdowns. Even I almost got lost in the music myself while photographing them, the Pennsylvania metalcore veterans showcased their ability to combine heavy, intricate guitar work with melodic sections, making songs like "Ghosts" and "Whitewashed" sound as tight live as they do on record (no really, they sound that good live), including an early appearance from A Day to Remember’s lead vocalist Jeremy Mckinnon for his featured part in "Ghosts." The crowd (myself included) responded with heavy moshing and deafening cheers. The raw intensity of their performance was a perfect lead-in for A Day to Remember, as it enraged up the flames of excitement for what was to come. If you haven't seen them live before, I highly suggest it.
For the "main entrée" (as well as some "dessert"): A Day to Remember finally took the stage, and the anticipation was as expected. As a long time fan myself, I was certainly pumped and ready for their iconically blended mix of pop-punk, metalcore, and post-hardcore. The last time I had the chance to see them live was Vans Warped Tour back in 2011. The band delivered a set that spanned their entire discography, showcasing their ability to create anthems that resonate with fans across different sub-genres including Personal favorites of mine like "Violence (Enough is Enough)" and "If It Means A Lot To You". As expected, the band also paid a fun tribute to some of their musical influences like the cover of Pantera’s “Walk” and the rendition of Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone” which threw the whole crowd, myself included, by complete surprise. Of course, I can't leave out their iconic toilet paper toss to the crowd, filling the venue with steams of TP making a unforgettable experience during the song "All Signs Point to Lauderdale". Towards the closing out the show you can hear a roar from the crowd shouting "Encore!" As the band rushed back out on stage to treat the them with two last songs that I know even I had been waiting for, "NJ Legion Iced Tea" and "The Downfall of Us All", gave the crowd exactly the "dessert" they were craving. It's safe to say the show that night truly was A..... Day to Remember.
