Three Cheers For Mayday Parade's Twenty Years
Live at the House of Blues, Boston, MA
Last Friday night, I had the opportunity to see Mayday Parade for their “Three Cheers for Twenty Years Tour” at the House of Blues in Boston, MA. As you may be able to surmise from their tour title, the band has been around for twenty years and has dedicated this tour to one specific group of people keeping them around: their fans.
To do this in style, they played a frankly enormous set of several tracks they’ve penned over the years. From old classics off A Lesson in Romantics like “Jersey” to new songs off their new album Sweet like “Who’s Laughing Now,” the group brought their A-game and were ready to rock.
Before they’d begin though, they had three other openers, all impressive in their own way. Berkeley, California’s rockin’ Like Roses, heavy ‘n’ punky Grayscale from Philadelphia, and the cult favorite Microwave all got the crowd going before Mayday Parade hit the stage.
By then, anticipation had almost reached its breaking point. As the road crew set up for Mayday Parade, the crowd kept pointing at the stage that was transforming before their very eyes, as high risers, a piano, a mirror in the center, and two gigantic screens on either side all materialized.
Then, the lights faded to black and the two screens illuminated of a younger, fresh-faced Mayday Parade being interviewed after one of their first appearances at Warped Tour. As their latest album Sweet and the tour itself are both about the band looking back in a nostalgic way, it’s fitting they’d begin their set this way.
After the clips ended, the lights went up and the band ran out, ready to rock. They opened with “By The Way” off their new album, and even though it was a recent song, everyone in the audience knew the words.
Donning skinny jeans and a tank top with a black cat against a red background, Derek Sanders flew across the stage like a whirling top. Guitarists Alex Garcia and Brooks Betts rocked out and traded places more times than one could easily count. Jake Bundrick and Jeremy Lenzo locked in the rhythm section in unison. It was obvious that the group aimed to please, focused on putting on a stunning show.
After their opener, the group launched backwards in their discography, playing tracks first from A Lesson in Romantics and leading their way back to the present. Fans sang along to the point where it became a game of karaoke with Sanders and the crowd trading lines. The screens behind Mayday Parade followed the song well, allowing those unfamiliar to sing along.
Though there were many highlights of the band’s setlist choices, there were two occasions I wanted to note. One was when the band played “Oh Well, Oh Well.” The crowd absolutely exploded and many jumped up and down, and sang along in the throes of ecstasy.
Another was near the end when the group played something that Sanders said they never really play. As the song’s first chords rang out, a woman in the audience screamed in excitement at her recognition: “No, you fucking don’t!” The song, “One Man Drinking Games,” a cult favorite was appreciated by many that were there.
It goes to show that this concert was definitely for the Mayday Parade fan. Though the band reached into their deep cuts on certain occasions, it seemed many in the crowd always knew all the words, dancing and singing along. Despite the fact that the crowd seemed thankful, it was Mayday Parade that was even more thankful they were still on stage after twenty years.
The entire band was incredibly earnest too. Sanders took a moment midway through the show to express his gratitude in a big way by saying, “No matter who you are, Mayday Parade loves you.”
After almost two hours of tunes, the band left the stage, but not before launching extreme amounts of confetti in to the venue during their closer “Jamie All Over,” the platinum hit. This is where the energy reached its apex with crowd surfing, thrown hands and exploding cheers, turning the entire room into a cacophony of sound.
If you are a Mayday Parade fan, this is a show you won’t want to miss as its completely dedicated to you. Check out the band’s tour list and see if they are playing near you. You will surely not be disappointed.
