Images: Bayside, Saves the Day, I am the Avalanche, Transit October 28, 2011 at the House of Blues

Bayside has long used “is a cult” as their band slogan (the amps on their current tour even spell out the four letter word) but looking out at the sea of kids in Bayside hoodies and tees (kudos to whoever designed the “It’s Always Sunny” parody shirt) on the packed House of Blues floor last Friday, it’s clear that they’re much more than that now. They’re no longer just that fledgling young band with only a small but passionate following that I first saw at Family Music all those years ago, they are a legitimately successful rock band with huge appeal and really, I can’t think of many bands more deserving of that status. They put out consistently great records on a regular basis, they treat their fans with respect, and they always put on a fantastic live show. The mood was set early, with vocalist and rhythm guitarist Anthony Raneri taking the stage first, draped in shadows for a minimalist intro to “Blame it on Bad Luck.” The crowd quietly sang every word along with the frontman, tension building as anticipation for the song to kick into high gear grew stronger. By the time Raneri yelled “Pooouuund my knuckles hard against the floor. My head against the wall. But I did this to myself” he was joined by the rest of the band, the lights flashing, banner revealed, and the show was on.

The band’s whole catalogue was represented, with “No One Understands,” “Duality,” and “The Walking Wounded” among the night’s highlights, the latter featuring a guest appearance by I am the Avalanche’s Vinnie Caruana, performing live the vocals he adds to the album’s recorded track. Even in the larger venue, the band was able to keep the feel of a close, intimate show, particularly when Raneri passed vocal duties onto the crowd for sections of “Don’t Call Me Peanut.” Bayside has very passionate fans and this was strikingly evident at Friday night’s show. Between a guy with a leg injury waving his crutches in the air along with every song and a fan coming out on stage to ask his girlfriend to marry him (she said yes) the vibe of the whole evening was pretty fantastic and that was in no small part thanks to the amazing energy that Bayside exudes on stage. Before closing out the night with “Devotion And Desire,” Raneri mentioned that this is one of the best tours they have been a part of and how years later, people will be talking about either how much fun it was or how they wish they were there, and I can’t disagree with him there.

Saves the Day co-headlined the night, returning to Vegas a little over a year since their co-headlining stint with New Found Glory at the same venue, albeit with another lineup change. The band alternated between all-time classics found on their first four records and songs from their three-part concept: Sound the Alarm, Under the Boards and the recently released Daybreak. I can see the band’s reasoning for doing this, a glance at the fans singing along showed a very clear divide between people who only knew the old stuff and those who only knew the new stuff with very little crossover, so it’s nice that they try and please both groups. But I felt it gave the whole set too much of a disjointed feel. I never had enough time to get into the songs I really wanted to hear and vocalist Chris Connelly seemed to have a hard time switching gears between the eras as well. That being said, I’ve mentioned before that my love of Saves the Day is what made me the music fan I am today and with such fond memories attached I couldn’t help but smile and sing along to old favorites like “Firefly,” “Sell My Old Clothes I’m Off to Heaven,” and “Holly Hox.” And despite my limited knowledge of the newer material, I did find myself impressed with the band’s ability to pull off the 11-minute title track to their new record so flawlessly. Their set wasn’t bad, but I wanted to like it more than I did.

This tour has the kind of lineup that is so solid that it’s hard to choose a favorite, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I was most looking forward to I am the Avalanche. The Brooklyn melodic hardcore band released one of my favorite records of the year and features lead vocals by Vinnie Caruana of The Movielife, which is a band that had a huge impression on me growing up. Any one of their live shows would make it on my list of favorite concerts and Caruana has remained one of my favorite frontmen so I couldn’t wait to see him and his new(ish) band live. I wasn’t disappointed. They played a pretty even mix of songs from their first and second records with an intensity and enthusiasm that was contagious. The biggest reaction during their set came when they played “The Gravedigger’s Argument” which was prefaced by Caruana asking if anyone in the crowd had an ex-wife, and then advising them not to kill her and bury her in their backyard, but to write a song about it instead. The song features guest vocals by Bayside’s Anthony Raneri and, just like Caruana did during Bayside’s set, the frontman joined IATA on stage for the performance. The band appeared to be having a blast up there, finally on the road again after all these years, and I had a blast watching them.

The first band to take the stage that night was Transit, and I have a feeling it isn’t going to be long before they’re doing some headlining of their own. Their infusion of American Football-esq second wave emo and indie pop into their already successful pop punk sound resulted in another of my favorite albums of the year. It was great hearing those songs live and based on the sizeable amount of fans that showed up at the early 5:45 start time to sing along with every word, I think it’s safe to say I’m not the only one that is incredibly impressed with them and can’t wait to hear more. You could tell that the band is still getting used to playing on a big, barriered stage, but I think they’re adjusting quite nicely.

-Emily Matview

Photos by Emily Matview | https://www.flickr.com/photos/holdfastnow/

and Tyler Newton | http://500px.com/spottedlens