Alternative rock band Yellowcard took the stage Nov. 16 at the Electric Factory along with We Are the In Crowd and The Wonder Years in promotion of the band’s new album, “Southern Air,” which was released Aug. 14.
We Are the In Crowd opened up the night with many electrifying songs from its single album, which was released Oct. 4, 2011. The relatively underground band may have received the opening spot due to lead vocalist Taylor Jardine’s featured voice in Yellowcard’s single “Here I Am Alive.” The band’s performance was well practiced with euphonious vocals from both Jardine and the two guitar players who doubled as vocalists. The crowd’s reaction to the band was very minimal compared to the waves of movement that swarmed the crowd as The Wonder Years set up the stage.
The Wonder Years’ set included many beloved songs from their two albums, such as “Logan Circle,” “Everything I Own Fits In This Backpack” and “Came Out Swinging.” The crowd, which appeared to be filled with fans in their mid-teens to late 20s, packed tightly together for a chance to be near the stage. Overall, The Wonder Years were able to change the dynamic of the room completely by energizing the anxious crowd.
When Yellowcard finally took the stage, the crowd howled with delight and began to passionately shout the lyrics to “Awakening,” which was explained to be the largest crowd response thus far for their opening song on tour. The concert included the performance of seven songs from the new album: “Awakening,” “Surface Of The Sun,” “Rivertown Blues,” “Always Summer,” “Telescope,” “Southern Air” and “Here I Am Alive.” Fans loudly supported the band throughout the concert with animated jumping and pushing. The crowd response seemed to increase with each song, with explosive charisma during beloved classics such as “Ocean Avenue” and “Lights and Sounds.”
An unexpected twist came with the band’s decision to perform a cover of the popular Mumford & Sons song “I Will Wait.” Yellowcard, surprisingly, was able to perform with a country twang as the crowd clapped along through the song. The crowd seemed to dull slightly throughout the band’s surprise rendition. It became apparent from the lowered volume of the crowd that many did not know the lyrics to the song. I found the song to be a nice variation from the already well-known Yellowcard songs; it was nice to see the band trying to diversify its performing repertoire while remaining up to date with the current trend of covering other bands on tour.
In total, the night was a complete musical success and was well worth the cost. Although it was hot being packed into the audience like a sardine, the feeling of enjoyment that electrified and surrounded me made the experience recommendable. All three bands presented enticing sets that seemed to appeal to all audience members, even if they were at the concert solely for the Yellowcard performance. Based on the combined enjoyment of both the music produced by these three bands and the overall atmosphere of the crowd, I highly recommend this tour to anyone interested in their pop punk music.