Jul 54 min read

A Day To Remember, The Story So Far & Four Year Strong rattle Simpsonville, SC

This past Wednesday, July 3rd, 'The Least Anticipated Album Tour' stopped in Simpsonville, SC at CCNB Arena. The irony of the tour name speaks for itself as headliner A Day To Remember's upcoming album is probably the most anticipated release from them since the follow up to their 5th studio album "Common Courtesy." Along with direct support from 2 of the biggest names in commercial pop-punk; The Story So Far & Four Year Strong. It would be really really really really hard to fuck this tour up with this lineup. Any of these bands could tour on their own merit and still do numbers, but together? This is like "The Warped Tour Avengers" lineup of the year, at least so far. If you missed our piece on why this tour is so important, check that out here.

Editors notes:

The 3 bands that will be discussed are 3 of my favorite bands so this piece will contain my personal opinions and will most likely be biased. I also have a song with Dan O'Connor of Four Year Strong with my band Aim High so imma plug that HERE and am definitely biased in regards to that(Shoutout Dan). Lastly, Pain of Truth(the first opener) did not allow any media for their set so we will be politely skipping discussing much of them. Cool cool. Lets begin.

Four Year Strong

"Heros Get Remembered, Legends Never Die" the apt songtitle of a perfect example of easycore at its peak. This band is somehow still alive and are legends within the scene. Known for being one of the best pop-punk bands for the last 17 years, as well as one of the best live shows, Four Year Strong continues to prove they are still in their prime. With an upcoming 9th studio album 'analysis paralysis' slated for August 9th, 2024; many fans have started to get excited with the super heavy & new (yet refreshingly familiar) sounding single "aftermath/afterthought" released earlier this year. Four Year Strong has explored many different soundscapes throughout their long spanning career, and people might be as hyped for this chapter of the band's sound as they were for the follow up to 'Enemy of The World.'

Some people were discussing if this band should perform so early on the lineup, which is a valid sentiment taking into consideration their veteran status. Some even were discussing if this was a purposeful long game "I Told You So" move on A Day To Remember's part, but I think thats a big stretch. Given the context of the success of The Story So Far's recently released album, and the fact that 3 of the biggest bands in this soundscape are touring together on the same bill, the move makes sense. I would have love to have seen more people there for their set, but such is life at Amphitheater sized tours, not everyone can make it inside in time to see all of the acts. However, there were many, many devout Four Year Strong fans there draped in the bands merch and singing and moshing to their set. It was a short set, but it was a great set.

The Story So Far

The Story So Far is another extremely sentimental band to me. I remember when their debut studio album 'Under Soil & Dirt' released. Never in my wildest dreams did I think they would become a band who's music gets sold in stores like Target. And yes, thats a good thing. For what was once considered "too angsty for the charts, too immature for commercial success" The Story So Far has been a band critical to the rise of pop-punk music in mainstream eyes. And no, i'm not talking about the watered down Waterparks version of "pop-punk" this band has remained true to themselves since album 1 and even with the sonic exploration of records like "Proper Dose" remain a staple of this scene. While Parker Canon might not be crowdsurfing with fans anymore, like the good ol' days, this band absolutely still has "it" in the studio and in the live setting. Really good set, really great song selection. Long live TSSF.

A Day To Remember

Since '05 A Day To Remember has be slinging out chunes. Nearly 20 years later, they are arguably the biggest band to come from central Florida. How did they do it? Are they still good? Will the "Least anticipated Album of the year" live up to its name or defy expectations?

I remember discovering this band via Fuze TV, specifically, running the music videos for "The Downfall of us All" and the Ron Jeremy cameo'd "The Plot to Bomb The Panhandle" over and over again, and I was SO there for it. It was a perfect mix of heavy pop-punk and post-hardcore, and I, along with so many others ate that shit up like a favorite slice of pie. Its completely safe to say this band was, and still is a staple within the scene. Even throughout their sonic exploration within their last few albums, this band stands the test of time. Amazing production quality aside, theres a reason why they have remained extremely successful despite multiple original lineup member changes. Frontman Jeremy McKinnon is still one of the most energetic performers around, and he can still scream and sing like the rents due.

Have they put out a few sleepers amongst all the chunes? Forsure. I don't believe theres a single ADTR fan who intrinsically loves every song; the thing is, thats completely okay. I believe its something they embrace. They know at the end of the day being a band of their stature, there will be people who like it, and people who don't. With their clearly successful careers, they have all the fans they'll ever need and they probably know it. A perfect reason to water down the live shows, but no. I've seen this band over 10 times live, and this was in the top 3 performances, hands down. I am personally super psyched for the album.