Upon hearing about The 10 Year Anniversary tour of New Found Glory’s self-titled album, my heart was bursting, especially since Saves the Day was also on the bid and to top it off the show was on Valentine’s Day. What better way to celebrate? There were no questions to be asked, my attendance was mandatory.
Opening acts included up and coming pop-punk band Fireworks who released their first full-length All I Have To Offer Is My Own Confusion in 2009. They sparked the show on a very energetic note. Next on the big the nine-year-old power –pop five-piece hellogoodbye took the stage and took us back a couple years with their chart topping single “Here (In Your Car)”.
Throughout the first two sets, the huge Saves The Day banner hanging behind the bands distracted me. I was filled with anticipation; what songs would they play and from which albums? They opened with All-Star Me from Through Being Cool, their full length from ’99. After a few relatively newer songs from Under the Boards and Sound The Alarm I was beginning to wonder if shy, emotional lyricist Chris Conley would address the audience at all. He skipped anything formal and mockingly said “Happy Easter, we love you.” After a couple older songs from Stay What You Are and In Reverie, he thanked us, claiming “All I can think to say is I love you, we feel like the luckiest band in the world.” The mood of their set was passionate and genuine, especially since they played Third Engine, their most heartfelt single from Through Being Cool, which they rarely play live. Seeing Saves The Day back on the touring scene really helps with suspense leading up to their release of Daybreak, later this year.
Headliners New Found Glory took the stage and I was anxious to see how their Self-Titled tribute would go. With the first chord, I recognized track one, Better Off Dead. The crowd was pleasantly surprised when they played the entire album start to finish. New Found Glory has a dedication and love for music most other bands can’t attest to. The band still has all five original members, 13 years later. Their passion is reflected in their fans, who have stuck with them from the beginning. They changed their set, from the traditional self-titled backdrop, to their new-age look and stole the show with six more hit singles from Sticks and Stones, Catalyst, and Not Without a Fight. Since most bands are opposed to playing old songs because they’ve grown, over the years, into a different sound, my respect for New Found Glory grew immensely. NFG takes pride in their music, and their fans take pride in them.
The widely expressed sentiment “I’ve liked them since I was like 14” had me surrounded by giddy smiles; it was as if we had all time warped to dancing and singing in our rooms, seven years prior. My heart wasn’t the only one bursting; this was certainly a heartfelt Valentine’s Day for all of us.
Written By Justine Takacs
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