Concert Reviews (172)

• August 6, 2024
• Colleen Johnson
• 221
• 0

Sad Summer Fest was a smashing success when it hit Worcester this past Saturday. While the tour last year took a bit of a shift with the kind of venues it was playing, it was great to see and hear that the tour would be returning to its’ roots. The outdoor setting of The Palladium in Worcester allows for a large crowd to still feel like an intimate experience. Purposely not having any overlaps when it comes to performances, having several food truck options on site, and the opportunity to meet your favorite artists is the perfect way to spend a summer day, even if we are a little sweaty on a day that feels like the high nineties humidity wise. While the threat of storms was on the horizon throughout the day, it was no more than a very welcomed drizzle during The Wonder Years’ set. 

But before I get ahead, the day started strong with three back-to-back female-driven acts with Diva Bleach, no strangers to fans of The Maine with Daisy Grenade (were the opening band and Flor on the Maine tour last winter). They were topped off with Hot Milk, the latter of the three,  making their return to the tour. Diva Bleach went on to an already respectable crowd, easily back to the soundboard, if not farther. Diva Beach couldn’t have been a better way to kick off a festival day heralded by the bands in these early slots, typically a year later than headlining theaters. As I came in, the band was jumping into their second track of the day with “Crawling,” the band sashayed their way through anthemic moments like the title track of their latest EP, Hate Me. Closing their set with “Turn in Two,” the set was also sprinkled with deeper cuts like “Beaches,” even a moment that was not yet released with “I Like You.” I spoke with Sydney and Brie from the band later in the day, and an album is definitely on the horizon for this talented trio. 

In addition to the action onstage, the fans’ first element started shining through. Frontman of The Maine, John O’Callaghan, stood out in the open, surrounded by the merch tents, meeting anyone who wanted to meet him. Later, it was We The King’s turn with Travis Clark and Charles Trippy standing in front of their merch table. And the support wasn’t just there for the fans. Throughout the day, band members supported others on the tour. At points, I saw Pat Kirch of The Maine making sure to catch Hot Milk’s set. As well throughout the day, I saw several members of Mayday Parade watching bands throughout the day. Considering both bands’ hand in the festival since day one, it makes sense. 

The beauties in Manchester, UK’s Hot Milk, are returning to Sad Sumer Fest this year, with their first run on the festival just two years ago in 2022. The band quickly developed a fan base and started their high-energy show with “Horror Show.” By the time that band hit the second track with “Bloodstream,” there were definite pockets of people singing along with the duo of vocalists Hannah Mee and Jim Shaw. At this point, Hannah says, “Hey beautiful people, we’re Hot Milk from Manchester, England,” to huge roars from the crowd. Earlier, when Diva Bleach asked who people were excited for, Diva Bleach’s vocalist Sydney Roten responded with, “Lots of Hot Milk, love it.” And the support was clear throughout the rest of Hot Milk’s set. This time slot has always been a sweet spot for past renditions of the tour, and it’s clear that tradition will continue this year. 

The crowd interaction continued on point with Hannah shouting, “Alright, you’re turning me on too much,” after asking the crowd to show their palms this before diving into “Over Your Dead Body.” At this point, the crowd started chanting, “Hot Milk, Hot Milk, Hot Milk,” as the band was still on the stage. Ending with the duo of “Party on My Deathbed” and “Glass Spiders.” The final tracks of the set were topped off with Hannah saying, “We’ve been Hot Milk, see you next time.” As she pivoted, her face lit up when co-vocalist Jim Shaw was waiting for a cheeky kiss to cap off the wild ride that was Hot Milk’s set. 

 

At this point, the show did an interlude of Midwest emo, with the back-to-back duo of Illinois-born bands Knuckle Puck and Real Friends. With a backdrop of “Midwest Trash,” complete with an outline of Illinois, and clad in a Sad Summer shirt, frontman Joe Taylor lead his band into a wildly jam-packed forty or so-minute set. One where the band could even squeeze in a crowd-riveting cover of “The Middle” ala Jimmy Eat World. Of course, in addition to the cover, Knuckle Puck played a slew of tracks like “Untitled” and ending with “Pretense.” But not before Taylor jumped into the crowd. A move back in the rotation of a performance that a few years ago probably seemed like something that would never happen again. It would be a more repeated moment throughout the night to the crowd’s glee. 

While I had to dip out for an interview during the next set, I swiftly entered the pit (okay, pit-adjacent) for a long time coming set with We The Kings on their debut Sad Summer appearance in Worcester. And it translated into a tremendous mid-day boost for the crowd with some pretty brutal humidity. Starting strong with “Skyway Avenue,” the crowd went off, leading to frontman Travis Clark laughing and saying, “We have one more song; thank you so much.” Right before diving into the smash “She Takes Me High,” This, as well as tracks like “I Feel Alive” and “Say You Like Me.” We The Kings, planned these sets perfectly, handpicking highlights from their catalog. With, of course, the exception of “Alien,” their latest single, but with a bunch of blown-up aliens, the band made sure to engage the crowd fully. Before “Alien,”  Clark somehow got at least ninety percent of a crowd of elder emos to pull off a squat despite our wobbly knees to recreate the wobbly arms dance one of his daughters had created for the aforementioned “I Feel Alive.” Clark is undoubtedly one of the only ones who could do such a feat. 

Post “Alien,” Clark did a survey of the crowd to see who had never heard of the band before. This bringing on a teeny smattering of hands, with Clark responding, “I counted twelve.” Afterward, saying, “Okay, now we’re about to play our biggest song now,” rickrolled the crowd with a stunning cover of “Mr. Brightside,” sure to please any millennial. A few rows ahead of me, a girl excitedly said to a friend, “Oh! I know this one,” with the friend kindly saying, “This isn’t it.” In no other possible fashion, the band, of course, finished their swift thirty-something-minute power set with the iconic “Check Yes, Juliet.” Clark says, “This next song is not ours; it’s yours.” 

Recently, I spoke with one of the tour’s founders, Josh Terry, about what bands would be a perfect fit for the festival, be it A Rocket To The Moon or The Summer Set. The latter joined the tour for the second time this year, and We The Kings is definitely one of those bands. 

Next up were Philly’s The Wonder Years, pivoting into the last three bands of the night. All no strangers to the tour, Dan “Soupy” Campbell set the meter for what was about to cascade over the crowd when it comes to crowd interaction, musicality, and true adoration from the crowd. While the band kicked it off with “There, There,” it only skyrocketed from there with moments like “Passing Through A Screen Door” and “Year of the Vulture.” The presence of Wonder Years fans in the audience was clear, and the band seemed to eat it up. The performance was on point, with Soupy spinning around the stage (very similar to Mayday Parade’s Derek Sanders sashaying on the stage in the same manner just two or so hours later). 

Be it Soupy saying, “Little man on the shoulders, I’m giving you permission to curse,” before a crowd sing-along of “GODDAMNITALL.” Or with softer moments, like, “This one’s for your Jesus,” in a nod to a recent crowd surfer and a dedication to recently passed Bill Crook (formerly of Living with Lions and Spiritbox). This before diving into, “Cardinals.” The band delivered a flawless performance throughout the set. It set the tone for the last two bands of the night with The Maine and Mayday parade. All three are approaching the 19/20 year mark (The Maine recently hit seventeen years, respectfully), and these performances give just a glimpse into why all three are still going strong. 

While Phoenix, Arizona’s The Maine walked out to Abba’s “Dancing Queen,” this lady pop-loving writer has to mention the fact that the music before their set was two Sabrina Carpenter moments, three Chappell Roan tracks and, of course, a homage to some friends they know from Boston with Beach Weather. As the band took the stage, feted by white and pink roses, frontman John O’Callaghan started it out strong with, “How are we feeling out there? Are we cooked yet?” This before slipping quickly right into it with “Bad Behavior” and “Blame,” back to back. Like WTK’s earlier performance, the band knew the assignment, balancing both new and old. And especially the one track that has never swayed away from the set, “Girls Do What They Want.” Bringing on stage two very eager gentlemen, who John coached after both said they didn’t know any of the words but made it through under the coaching of O’Callaghan. While the set careened through moments like “Slip The Noose” and their latest “Touch,” deeper cuts like “Like We Did (Windows Down)” were also present, as well as a slew of tracks off their self-titled, which just hit its first anniversary. 

Like Soupy, O’Callaghan’s interaction with members of the crowd was on point throughout the set. Be it O’Callaghan yelling to a familiar face, “Kyle! You’re in charge; show them how it goes.” Before jumping into the middle of the circle pit for “Numb Without You.” This as well, shouting to a girl in the crowd, making sure she was okay, yelling, “You need a cocktail? Can’t help you there, what are you drinking?” and responding, “Rum and Coke? College!” Closing out the set with the smash, “Loved You A Little,” The Maine, as always, set a high bar for what was to come, and Mayday Parade handled that task with ease.  

The Tallahassee crew in Mayday Parade walked out to “Summer Loving,” ala Grease. Keeping with the flower theme, the band surrounded themselves on stage by sunflowers that were larger than life. The band started it off strong with one of their recent singles, “More Like a Crash,” before careening into a hits parade. Kicked off with, “Oh Well, Oh Well,” it only went up. Sanders’ first interaction with the crowd came at this point, saying, “It’s so good to be in Worcester, playing live music.” A place that Mayday visited last year around this point with fellow Floridian act, Yellowcard. Seconds later, prefacing “Jersey” with “Imagine you’re at 2008 Warped Tour, and you just discovered emo music.” The crowd went off as the band dove into “Anywhere But Here,” the set pivoted with Sanders sitting down at the piano for “Stay.” 

But not before he made sure to thank the crew and staff “so we could all enjoy this safe environment,” as well as every other band, by name, that had played that day. Before, of course, ending the set with the bop that is “Jamie All Over,” the band and Sanders delivered realness and honesty with tracks like “The Last Something, That Meant Anything” and “Pretty Good to Feel Something.” 

Mayday’s set was the perfect way to conclude a long day in the sun and a very fitting way to celebrate five years of Sad Summer. This festival provides a place for elder emo’s to sing at the top of their lungs and throw down in the pit. A safe environment carrying the Warped ethos, meeting your favorite bands, and hugging your friends. And, never taking live music for granted ever again.