Warped Tour vibes were in the arena when A Day To Remember and Yellowcard co-headlined the Maximum Fun Tour in Huntsville.
Dinosaur Pile-Up opened the night with an electric 25-minute set that got the party going. While the British rockers have toured the United States before, they are making their way across parts of the country that they’ve never seen before. As lead singer Matt Bigland stated, they had never been to Huntsville before and had to admire the large rockets throughout the city – hence the nickname “Rocket City.” Although it was clear that many in the crowd were unfamiliar with the songs, the audience did enjoy the set, and their sound fit in perfectly with the rest of the groups on the bill.
Midway through The Wonder Years‘ performance, lead singer Dan Campbell made a point that it is rare for the band to be in a supporting role. Most times when the group ventures out on tour, it has been a headlining or co-headlining opportunity. However, The Wonders Years have played support for both A Day To Remember and Yellowcard in the past, so when the opportunity presented itself to be support for both bands, they were happy to indulge.While The Wonder Years were in a little unfamiliar role, nothing about their performance diminished or changed. In fact, it made the performance more poignant. The group was able to include the fan favorites. Meanwhile, Campbell was still vocal – even stating that since he was the one with the microphone, it was his obligation to speak out on everything from politics, and truly thanking those who came out to catch the band.
“I know for a fact because of that, some people in this room will not love what we have to offer and will not f*** with The Wonder Years, and I am OK with that,” Campbell stated. “I’m totally good with it, because somewhere else in this room, someone else is hearing this band for the first time, and something we are doing or something we are saying is going to resonate deep in their chest. If that person is you, welcome to the family. To everyone else in the room, for whom The Wonder Years are not your cup of tea, I want to say this, and I want you to know that I mean it honestly – thank you for the f***ing chance.”
Based on the reaction from the crowd, I think it’s safe to say that most of the crowd thoroughly enjoyed the performance.
Before Yellowcard even took the stage, the audience was already hyped – thanks in part to a crew member dressed as a motocross racer who was armed with a T-shirt cannon. For many fans, however, they were eager to hear the songs and see a band they had grown up listening to in high school. Even lead singer Ryan Key acknowledged the nostalgia, stating that this tour run has had “2004 Warped Tour vibes. And the world needs more 2004 Warped Tour vibes.”But even without the music, Yellowcard’s performance was nothing short of pure nostalgia with several callbacks to 80s hits. The band led by playing the Top Gun anthem, and then midway through the set, Key took center stage wearing a trench coat, holding a boombox in hand, reminiscent of John Cusack’s character in Say Anything.
While the band relied mainly on the tracks early in their career, there was a good mix with new songs thrown into the Huntsville performance. Early into the set, Key thanked the crowd for sticking with the band and even launching them to new heights with the recent success of their latest single, “Better Ways.”
“It’s been about 10 years since we made a really tough decision to step away from Yellowcard, and we thought it was going to be the rest of our lives,” Key said. “So the fact that for the last three years, we’ve been playing the biggest shows and the biggest rooms of our entire careers, it just doesn’t make any sense. Thank you, guys, so much. We are not going anywhere ever again.”
Yellowcard will be delivering on that promise, as Key let the crowd know what the plan is for 2026. As the singer stated, the group is planning a huge tour in the summertime, promising it will be a “can’t miss” performance.
While Yellowcard’s set felt like a blast from the past, A Day To Remember reminded fans to stay in the present and turned the concert into a party. The crowd was instantly hyped up as the opening notes of the group’s hit “The Downfall Of Us All” rang out. A Day To Remember kept that vibe going, shooting off confetti cannons just three songs into their performance. That wouldn’t be the only interaction with fans, as several were invited to watch the show from on stage.There was never a dull moment, but there were some unexpected parts of the concert that truly added to the party mix. During the set, “Space Jam” by Quad City DJ’s was played, and that was the signal for two giant basketball goals to appear. Shortly thereafter, giant inflatable basketballs were introduced and thrown into the crowd, allowing fans to participate in a game during the performance.
While the band continues to age, they continue to introduce new things to their live concerts over the years. With the live visuals, audience participation, and the group’s classic hits, A Day To Remember has found a way to make a 17-song concert feel like it’s flying by. It is impressive and certainly showcases why they are a band you cannot miss when they are in a city nearby.
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THE WONDER YEARS
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DINOSAUR PILE-UP
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PROPST ARENA
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