By snoadmin
A selection of Victory Records’ finest graced the stage at House of Blues Anaheim on Thursday night for the Orange County stop on the nationwide 2007 Victory Records 2007 Tour.
Driver Side Impact, June, The Sleeping, A Day to Remember and headlining band Bayside gave it their all, proving that bands on independent labels can play just as hard as the rest of them.
A relative newcomer to the scene, Driver Side Impact opened the night with a short but sweet set, playing tracks off its latest release, “The Very Air We Breathe.” Hailing from Ohio, the band played well, and I suspect we will be hearing more about the guys in the future.
June was up next, playing a set of generic pop rock songs from its 2007 release, “Make It Blur.” The lack of energy on stage transferred into the audience who were talking amongst themselves, patiently waiting for the next bands to take the stage. While June played its songs well, its set lacked the variety and energy needed to capture the everyday listener’s attention.
The atmosphere of the venue took a turn for the better once The Sleeping took the stage. As the band played a selection of tracks off their 2006 release, “Questions and Answers,” the hardcore kids responded to the requests of vocalist Douglas Robinson for some crowd movement by starting the first circle pit of the night.
Rounding off its 35 minute set with its track of “Guitar Hero 3” fame, “Don’t Hold Back,” the guys in The Sleeping cleared the stage, paving the way for the two most anticipated bands of the night.
Even though the band arrived late to the venue due to van troubles, A Day To Remember’s performance didn’t suffer as a result. Setting the tone with its anthem “Fast Forward to 2012,” ADTR had the venue echoing with the lyrics, “My friends come first, that’s the bottom line.”
Playing a 35-minute set including tracks such as “Monument,” the circle pit turned into a dance party when the band played a hardcore-inspired cover of Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone.” Ending with the crowd favorite “The Plot to Bomb the Panhandle” off its 2007 release, “For Those Who Have Heart,” A Day To Remember performed post-hardcore anthems of friendship that made for a great build-up to the main act of the night – Bayside.
Perhaps one of the most underrated bands of the past few years, Bayside proved why it deserved to headline this year’s tour. Having overcome many challenges in its seven-year existence, Bayside has a way of channeling these struggles into catchy and polished rock songs that were all performed flawlessly on this evening.
Vocalist/guitarist Anthony Raneri carried on the theme of friendship by telling the audience that friendship is what counts before launching into a 75-minute set including tracks such as “They’re Not Horses, They’re Unicorns,” “Duality,” “Existing in a Crisis (Evelyn)” and “Masterpiece.”
Halfway through the set, the band members left Raneri and guitarist Jack O’Shea onstage for an acoustic cover of a track by the punk rock band Smoking Popes before the rest of the band returned onstage to play “Masterpiece” and “Kellum” off their debut album, 2004’s “Sirens and Condolences.”
Leaving the stage for a brief intermission, the amped-up audience began chanting for Bayside to return to the stage. Returning for a two-song encore including a surprise cover of the NOFX track “Linoleum” and the favorite “Devotion and Desire,” Bayside appeared humbled and appreciative of its fans who were singing along to every word throughout the entire set.
Encouraging everyone to find what makes them happy and go out and do it, Bayside exited the stage, bringing the Orange County stop of the 2007 Victory Records Tour to an end.
