Images: Yellowcard, The Wonder Years, We Are The In Crowd, Sandlot Heroes November 2, 2012 at Vinyl Las Vegas

A dream-team pop punk lineup of Yellowcard, The Wonder Years, We Are The In Crowd and Sandlot Heroes came through Las Vegas November 2^nd at the Hard Rock Hotel’s Vinyl.

Yellowcard was all smiles when they took the stage to the packed club, obviously eager to showcase new songs from their recently released Southern Air LP. It’s their strongest release in a very long time (I’d stack it up right behind Ocean Avenue in their discography) so I was really looking forward to hearing those songs live. Whether due to this being the first day of tour or being pumped to be out supporting a well-received new album, the band seemed much more energetic on stage than they were the last few times I saw them. They were on fire during new cuts like “Rivertown Blues” and “Here I Am Alive,” the latter of which saw We Are The In Crowd vocalist Tay Jardine joining the group to reprise her backing vocal performance from the album

Yellowcard have been around long enough now to become a “generation band,” with a slew of young kids accompanying their parents (or at least still-cool aunts and uncles) with both groups singing along equally loud. This singing became infinitely louder of course when the band launched into their first Ocean Avenue track of the night – lead single “Ways Away.” I admit that my fondest memories of Yellowcard are from their early years, and I’m not alone. It’s clear that Ocean Avenue is still held in very high regard and tracks like “Only One” and the set-ending title track garnered the biggest reactions of the night.

As good as Yellowcard’s set was, it seemed like there was even more excitement in the room when Pennsylvania’s The Wonder Years took the stage as direct support. I’ve been dying to see the fast-rising pop punkers again ever since their already short set at last year’s Pop Punk’s Not Dead tour was cut even shorter due to the power outage that led to an impromptu a capella rendition of Journey’s karaoke classic “Don’t Stop Believing.” Seeing that level of energy without an ounce of electricity was something else and I was thoroughly impressed at their ability to make the best of a bad situation. So it wasn’t surprising in the least bit to see them almost tear the roof off of Vinyl. You could tell the crowd was feeding off the band’s energy as countless kids took to crowd surfing and stage climbing.

The crowd went nuts for “Local Man Ruins Everything,” the first single off the excellent Suburbia, I’ve Given You My All and Now I’m Nothing. “Washington Square Park” and “Me vs the Highway” (their first time playing it live according to vocalist Dan “Soupy” Campbell) had the room fixated and intense, and they were followed by throwback crowd favorite “Won’t Be Pathetic Forever.” The band wrapped things up with a stirring rendition of “Came Out Swinging.” The intimacy of the stage, the crowd’s energy, and the near-perfect set-list all combined to make this my favorite TWY show to date.

All I knew about We Are The In Crowd prior to this show came from negative hype from internet friends, so I must admit that I was expecting the worst. As it turns out, my apprehension was unfounded. I enjoyed their set quite a bit, as did the crowd that pushed their way up front to sing along with front-woman Tay Jardine. Their brand of pop punk definitely emphasizes the “pop” half of the equation but there is nothing wrong with that when done well, and from what I saw, they pulled it off. Jardine’s voice sounded fantastic live and she meshed well with co-vocalist/guitarist Jordan Eckes. I can easily see why they resonate so much with their passionate group of young fans.

In the first slot of the night were Bethlehem, PA’s Sandlot Heroes, the only band not (yet?) a part of the Hopeless Records roster. Further separating them from the rest of the lineup was their sound, a pop rock blend without a hint of the punk edge their tourmates share. The quartet’s sound seems more rooted in mid-to-late 90s adult alternative than in New Found Glory and Lifetime. They were a bit mellower than what I’m used to but they did a good job on what was the first day of their biggest tour to date.

-Felipe Garcia and Emily Matview

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