Bayside at Best Buy Theater 4/4/14

In a series of groundbreaking shows for 2014, New York’s own Bayside successfully managed to SELL OUT the Best Buy Theater in NYC thanks to their efforts and the other bands involved. Mixtapes, Daylight and Four year strong provided the band listing to the tour package to support the new Bayside album “Cult” on Hopeless records. The second to last show (with the last one taking place in Worchester, MA) held the high expectations desired for the hometown show. In my opinion, it is always a severe problem to come home and NOT be able to sell out your own homecoming. This factor was NOT the case here.

Opening acts Mixtapes and Daylight held down the stage with a quiet force. Although their atmospheric presence was bare-boned, the bands pulled their weight respectively and gave their fans what they deserved. The audience was very attentive and actually serious about watching these performances. Yes there was some singers out there and very little headbangers, but no joshing or crowd-surfing was present for a while. These shoots were very simple, it almost reminded me of the last time I shot Mike Patton’s band Tomahawk. The action was slim to none on stage as there were moments of jumping around and skipping to the stage but nothing flashy. There was one instance where one of the Mixtapes guitarists picked up the microphone stand with microphone, held it high in the air and started singing upside down. He didn’t hold on for long as the whole thing came apart but it was still exciting to see and shoot a photo or two of. It seems as if the two bands were only there to hold the time for the final acts. I say this cause well, the atmosphere COMPLETELY changed shortly after Daylight got off the stage. No setlist was present for either band, but the photos are posted down below.

Four Year Strong opened up (Pun Incoming!!) STRONG. My goodness, the audience pulled a complete 180 when this band hit the stage and started playing. Crowd surfing, countless head banging and singing were in abundance. I honestly felt like I was at another concert it was utterly ridiculous the complete scene change within the grand ballroom. The I Surrender Records band put on one hell of a show. Singer Dan O’Conner and Guitarist Alan Day were incredibly photogenic. Every aspect of their set was perfect. The lights, the atmosphere, the music and the actions the band members pulled out were just spot on. This will not be the last time I shoot this band I guarantee it. Check out their setlist and the photos below.

1. What the Hell is a Gigawatt?
2. Bada Bing! Wit’ a Pipe!
3. It Must Really Suck to Be Four Year Strong Right Now
4. Stuck in the Middle
5. Tonight We Feel Alive (On a Saturday)
6. One Step at a Time
7. Maniac (R.O.D.)
8. Find My Way Back
9. Heroes Get Remembered, Legends Never Die
10. Wasting Time (Eternal Summer)

New York hometown pop-punk heroes Bayside hit the fray with a rather empty stage… that is until the banner was revealed in a dramatic fashion to a massive resounding sound of applause and screams. The show began without a hitch and even though the stage didn’t feel as packed or full of theatricality of other acts like Asking Alexandria, Amon Amarth or Testament to name a few, the band still managed to completely turn the Best Buy Theater topsy turvy. The band gave photographers a two song limit to shoot, which was alright by me since the format of all the acts were structured the same way (as in performances) nothing too dramatic in essence. The band itself focused more on the people. The fans gave it all they got just like the band did and managed to maintain that energy throughout the performance. For the sold out shows they have been receiving, it is well deserved for these New Yorkers to bring it back home with full force. Especially to lead singer Anthony Raneri. During the writing process of this album, he lost and mourned his grandfather, stepfather and stepbrother. In death however, brought life. He then went on to get married and start his own family with his first child. It seems as if this tour came full circle amidst everything Anthony has gone through. But, I cannot deny how much he deserves to see the success of the band continue forward. Bayside focused on playing classic songs from previous albums, with new songs from the cult album like big cheese, pigsty, objectivist on fire and stuttering being the only new songs played.  With 13 sold out shows under the great American cult tour, I can rejoice for the immense triumph everyone in the Bayside camp is relishing in.  The tour might be over, but the memories are there and will stay there for the fans and myself… until they return of course. For Mr. Raneri, amidst the countless sorrow and agony he went through during the course of this album, life goes to show you that there is a silver lining no matter how you slice it. He found his own and for this I extend my congratulations to his success on this tour and album.  Check out the photos below and the set-list is as follows:

1. Big Cheese
2. Already Gone
3. Pigsty
4. A Call To Arms
5. Montauk
6. The Walking Wounded
7. Stuttering
8. Carry On
9. Masterpiece
10. We’ll Be O.K.
11. Don’t Call Me Peanut
12. Objectivist On Fire
13. Duality
14. Blame It on Bad Luck
15. I and I
16. Sick, Sick, Sick

Encore:
17. Moceanu
18. Dear Tragedy
19. Devotion and Desire

This Sold out show was much more for the hometown team of Bayside. It was redemption for lead singer Anthony Raneri and another chapter that has opened up with the release of the cult album and his new family. When you put the past away, the future fills the void of what has been lost. It is never forgotten and as Hemingway said “Death is not defeat”. We learn, adapt and move on. That is how the cookie crumbles here. Catch you all on the flipside.

–Derek Soto–

Mixtapes Photo Gallery

Daylight Photo Gallery

Four Year Strong Photo Gallery

Bayside Photo Gallery

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