by Connor Dixon
On July 12th, 2024 A Day to Remember brought “The Least Anticipated Album Tour” to the Oakland Arena. Contrary to the tour name, Oakland Arena was ablaze with energy and anticipation. Before A Day to Remember took the stage audience members would get to watch Santa Cruz-based hardcore band SCOWL, Four Year Strong, and local legends The Story So Far. Scanning the crowd t-shirts from all of the bands were on full display.
SCOWL took the stage and vocalist Kat Moss immediately ripped into their set with intensity. Moss with an incredible scream and stage presence captivated the crowd. The audience quickly decided they did not need a warm-up and the mosh pit began. SCOWL played a short but ferocious set that left everyone’s heart rate elevated.
Four Year Strong, the pop-punk quartet from Massachussets was up next. They opened up with Brain Pain’s chugging riffs to get the crowd going. Vocalists Dan O'Connor and Alan Day seamlessly traded off singing duties throughout the set. Everyone took turns hyping the crowd up and keeping the energy high. Four Year Strong's setlist was a blend of their greatest hits and newer tracks ending their set with fan favorite "Wasting Time".
“We’re The Story so Far and we’re from right fuckin here!” Parker Cannon stated followed by a roar of applause. The local love was evident tonight as The Story so Far performed their first hometown arena show. At this point in the show crowd surfers began to fly over the barricade continuously. Their setlist included familiar tracks such as “Heavy Gloom”, “Roam”, and “Nerve” as well as songs off of their new album I Want to Disappear. Cannon took a moment to address how much playing at this venue meant to him. He mentioned growing up going to basketball games with his dad here. Their impressive performance at the arena was a fantastic celebration of their journey and the community that has supported them from the beginning.
A Day to Remember took the stage while intro music played. As soon as they began playing, cannons fired confetti into the air throughout the arena, elevating the energy in the room to a new level. The night kicked off with the explosive “Sticks & Bricks,” setting the tone for an evening of relentless energy and emotional highs. Jeremy McKinnon’s commanding stage presence and versatile vocal range were immediately apparent, captivating the audience with both his melodic singing and screams.
Guitarists Kevin Skaff and Neil Westfall, along with new bassist Bobby Lynge, provided a powerful and tight-knit performance, their riffs and breakdowns igniting the crowd. Alex Shelnutt displayed his technical ability at an elevated center-stage position. His drumming was a driving force, propelling the band’s sound with intensity.
The setlist was a well-curated mix of tracks. McKinnon mentioned the goal of the setlist was to play as many of their songs as possible in an hour and a half. “There will be long ones and shorter ones but it is the most that we could fit in.” Resulting in over 20 breakdown-filled anthems that played the soundtrack to an impressive pyrotechnics display. The new single "Feedback" was a hit, creating a massive circle pit that could be seen from everywhere in the venue. Crowd surfers were challenged to the technique of “crowdsurfing the crowdsurfer” a technique in which a person is essentially used as a surferboard for another person to make their way across the top of the crowd. McKinnon gave a warning that this is inherently dangerous but with a smile stated “You can either be safe, or you can go home a legend.”
Bobby Lynge (bassist) was introduced during the set. Bobby had to learn all of the songs for the tour therefore McKinnon asked him which song he would like to add to the setlist. The song that Bobby had picked was one McKinnon had been saying no to for a decade. Resulting in applause and laughter as they played their version of “Since U Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson.
A Day to Remember left the stage after their main set returning for a triumphant encore. They finished the night with “It’s Complicated” and fan favorite “
All photos taken by Connor Dixon.
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