I was recently invited to come see Taking Back Sunday live, just 10 minutes away from my house. Although this was not a show I had expected to shoot this year, I happily obliged upon receiving the email. I mean – who wouldn’t? This band was majorly popular in the early 2000’s for hits like “Cute Without The ‘E’” or “You’re So Last Summer.” I admittedly hadn’t logged a ton of listening time for this band, or their opener, Bayside, but I will always accept an opportunity to see what it is I’m missing out on.

I was coming from work, so I was just about 10 minutes from 8 p.m. when the show was scheduled to start. Parking, fortunately, didn’t prove to be anything crazy difficult, since that’s often my main challenge when I don’t have ample time to prepare and travel to a show. I met some smiling faces outside of the venue who seemed just as confused as me when it came to finding out where the correct entrance was, but after some trial and error – and by that I mean following others – we made it inside.

Bayside was great, and in return, so was the crowd. Also emerging in the 2000’s, Bayside has really zeroed in on that early 2000’s punk rock sound that influenced the decision to have them open for Taking Back Sunday an intuitive one. The group hails from the Bayside, Queens, neighborhood of New York City, which clearly ties into the formation of the name. On their way to a Drive-Thru Records showcase in 2000, they couldn’t think of a name to write on their demo CD. They passed the Bayside Train Station, jotted the word “Bayside” down, and it just happened to be the name that stuck.

If there’s a band that’s good at getting the crowd energized, it’s Bayside. Within minutes of their performance, fans were tucked in close to the barricade with smiles wide. You could tell that this group genuinely did enjoy being on stage, and the crowd absorbed every bit of that infectious energy. They played nine songs, most of them originating from their 2005 album Bayside. In between songs, they created a comfortable environment with the audience, frequently joking and talking. Their set was superb – it was great to see this band perform for the first time.

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I took the time between sets to explore the venue. I had never been to the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium before. It seemed highly modifiable; the pit was one large open space, walkways on either side, and about 15 feet up, there were also bleachers on both sides. I wandered around, having brief conversations with the staff and patrons surrounding me, before I settled back in right at 9:15 for the highly anticipated Taking Back Sunday.

The main event of the night, Taking Back Sunday, really brought out the energy, and the crowd held onto it tightly. One look around – I was sure that these people had been listening to the band for years. The outfits, makeup, and energy I saw from each person filling up the venue were evidence enough of that. One of the things I noticed right off the bat was that the group was a bit larger than I’m used to; there were five people on stage as opposed to your usual two to four. Despite this, each member of Taking Back Sunday was exceedingly good at working in tandem with their bandmates – there was a flow to each song and movement. The energy was there, even after over two decades of playing music and touring. They played a generous 22 songs, which included the ones I knew prior to seeing them. I have no negative notes about either of these two performances. These guys came to play some punk rock; they did it, and they did it exceptionally well.

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