Being a young adult in the early 2000s when emo legends Taking Back Sunday released Tell All Your Friends was quite a time. It was the album that defined a generation. We would use the lyrics in our AOL Instant Messenger away messages so that all of our friends knew how cool we were, with phrases like, "You could slit my throat, and with my one last gasping breath, I'd apologize for bleeding on your shirt." And, now, over twenty years later, having the opportunity to cover a Taking Back Sunday show is a dream come true. (It was never a phase, Mom.)
However, this is not the same TBS that we screamed our lungs out to every night while crying into our pillows. Gone are the side-swept hairstyles and emo-ridden angst, and in their place is a more refined look and sound. Taking Back Sunday has grown up. We all have.
First up was Toledo, OH-based rock band, Citizen. Made up of Mat Kerekes, Nick and Eric Hamm, Mason Mercer, and Ben Russin, Citizen was formed in 2009, and has released five studio albums since. They are described as emo, alternative rock, post-hardcore, shoegaze, and soft grunge. Their performance was nothing short of electrifying, and they certainly gained a new fan last night.
*Follow Citizen @ citizentheband
It's a true testament to the talent within Adam Lazzara & Co to still be going strong, and selling out multiple shows, twenty-some years after the fact. They have stood the test of time, and come out unscathed. Their most recent release, 2023's 152, shows that the quartet still has quite a few stories to tell.
Taking Back Sunday took to the stage next, much to the delight of the roaring crowd. It should come as no surprise that the chemistry onstage between the band was undeniable. Adam was literally a force of nature onstage, jumping and dancing around on the risers. He even swung the microphone around his neck quite a few times, which he's become known for over the years.
With a career spanning over two decades, and a setlist to match, the band proved on that evening why they remain a cornerstone of the scene. This was undoubtedly a night to remember, and, as any Taking Back Sunday fan knows — when they tour near you, you "MakeDamnSure" you're there.
Taking Back Sunday is: Adam Lazzara (lead vocals), John Nolan (lead guitar, piano, vocals), Shaun Cooper (bass), Mark O’Connell (drums)
SETLIST (via setlist.fm) // S’Old / Set Phasers to Stun / What’s it Feel Like to Be a Ghost / A Decade Under the Influence / Amphetamine Smiles / Timberwolves at New Jersey / Error: Operator / The One / Liar (It Takes One to Know One) / Lightbringer / You’re So Last Summer / Your Own Disaster / Tidal Wave / Quit Trying / My Blue Heaven / You Can’t Look Back / Keep Going / Flicker, Fade / Cute Without the ‘E’ (Cut From the Team) / MakeDamnSure
