Concert Review: Taking Back Sunday with guests letlive. and The Menzingers

Adam Lazzara (front) of Taking Back Sunday

Words by: Emily Racanelli

Bands: letlive., The Menzingers, Taking Back Sunday
Location: The Paramount in Huntington, NY
Date: Tuesday, March 24 2015

Taking Back Pop-Punk

The mic stand is forcefully thrown and crashes to the floor. The speakers are picked up and carried across the stage. Microphone cords are wrapped around necks, and in the blink of an eye, a bearded, tattooed man is hanging over the balcony. No, this is not a deranged and drunken fan. It is Jason Aalon Butler, the lead singer of punk band letlive.! Saying that this guy has an outstanding stage presence would be an understatement. Never before have I been so enthused and entertained by a band that I barely know. (And by barely, I mean I went into this concert only familiar with the song “Muther.”) Honestly, you could have never even heard of letlive. before and still have the time of your life! 

The Los Angeles quintet calmly walked on stage, providing no inkling of the circus that was about to unfold. In a matter of seconds, the crunchy electric guitar and heart-pounding drums started and frontman Jason Aalon Butler transformed into a maniac. Every second that he wasn’t singing was filled with theatrics. Within the first 10 minutes, he had left the stage and joined the mosh pit on the floor, passing his microphone to fans while he ran in circles. Instead of returning to the stage, Butler climbed (yes, he literally jumped onto the balcony) over the railing and made the day of fans who thought they wouldn’t be part of the immediate action. Once back on stage, the riot only continued! He picked up a 100 pound amplifier, put it over his head, and promptly threw it on the ground--all whilst singing. 

Of course, it is important to note that letlive., despite all their antics, are an extremely talented band. The highlight of their 35 minute set was when Butler curled up on the ground during “Muther,” whispering “Don’t you cry mama we’ll/We’ll be okay.” With the amount of energy in the room, you would’ve thought they were the main event, not the first opening act!

After the audience regained their composure, The Menzingers began to play. This band looks nothing like your typical pop-punk group. I have to admit, I though they were the stage crew when they walked on. A group of clean-cut 30 somethings, they seemed more like the type to be playing in a coffee house, not to 2,200 angsty young adults. I’m glad to say my initial assumptions were very wrong. When the music started, they took on an entirely different persona. The true uniqueness in this band is the vocals. They take the dual vocalist concept to another level. Rather than rotating during songs, guitarists Greg Barnett and Tom May each sang half the set. Unlike letlive., there was no climbing and throwing of equipment, but I had equally as much fun screaming out true punk lyrics like “I don’t wanna be an asshole anymore!”

The realest lyrics came out when pop-punk veterans Taking Back Sunday took the stage to play the 500th show at The Paramount. The setlist was one of perfection, complete with classics, recents, and new tracks off the complete recordings of their latest album Happiness Is... “How I Met Your Mother” falls into the latter category. With a catchy guitar riff and relatable lyrics screaming “Let’s not grow old and act our age,” it was impossible to stand still. Everyone in the crowd was singing, moshing, or dancing. This was no concert, but a party! 

I must say though, the absolute greatest moment came not during this party, but in the pause between songs. Lead singer Adam Lazzara introduced himself and the band saying, “We’re Taking Back Sunday and we’re from right here!” Yes, these Long Island natives who have spent over a decade in the music industry were playing a sold-out show in their hometown--every musician’s dream! At that very moment, I could not have been prouder to be from Long Island.

Once the sentimental feelings faded, it was time to show TBS that Long Island truly appreciated their hometown heroes. This was exemplified in the second to last song of the set, “Cute Without the ‘E’” from debut album Tell All Your Friends. With half my body hanging over the barricade and one arm shielding my head from the influx of crowd surfers, I screamed the bridge as if no words had ever before been so meaningful. While guitarist John Nolan may have been singing it as a backup to Lazzara, I gave “Why can’t I feel anything for anyone other than you?!” the real spotlight it deserved.

Everyone who sang that line attached their own meaning to it, imagining the person who broke their heart, the one who prevented them from truly feeling anything for anyone else ever again. For me at least, it was a cathartic experience and a reminder of why I started listening to bands like Taking Back Sunday in the first place. Hopefully, it was a reminder to every person in the audience as to why we wait on line in front of a venue for four hours in the freezing cold on a Tuesday, why we spend money on tickets and overpriced t-shirts, and why we walk out at 11 p.m. with a smile on our face even though we have to be at work/school in only 8-9 hours. We do it all for that one moment when we can scream the words to a line that has gotten us through our greatest struggles and look around to see 2,199 other people who are there for the exact same reason.

Jason Aalon Butler of letlive.