Bayside, New Found Glory Continue to Pave the Way on The Sick Tour

When Bayside took the stage last Monday at House of Blues Chicago, it was the first of two back-to-back nights with New Found Glory, The Movielife, and William Ryan Key of Yellowcard. Looking at the history of touring pop punk bands, there’s likely never been a more fitting combination.

Key kicked off the show with an intimate acoustic set, finishing it off with the nostalgic “Ocean Avenue.” His performance was followed by The Movielife, which energized the crowd to the point where security had to break up the mosh pit.

After a small eternity of the crowd gazing at an empty stage in-between sets, Bayside walked out and started with “Already Gone” from Killing Time, a dynamic and exciting choice among a long list of songs that appeased even the most loyal of fans. As the show progressed, favorites from past albums like “Sick, Sick, Sick,” “It's Not A Bad Little War,” and “Montauk” made an appearance. They finished off the night with “Devotion And Desire” from their self titled album, undoubtedly one of the most recognizable and cherished tracks from their entire collection.

New Found Glory was up next, a band that never disappoints, playing one pop punk hit after the next. Their intensity and presence was palpable; it could be felt in the crowd on the ground level all the way up to the balcony. They started off with “All Downhill From Here” and “Understatement,” later including additional classics such as “Failure's Not Flattering” and “Hit or Miss.” Closing out the show, they performed a Survivor cover “Eye of the Tiger” and their own “My Friends Over You” in the encore.

The Sick Tour finishes on June 22nd at House of Blues in Dallas, TX, leaving fans already wondering when the next New Found Glory and Bayside shows will start up.

Since their formation, punk rock group Bayside have released seven full-length albums. Their debut, Sirens and Condolences, landed in 2004, in addition to 2005's follow up, Bayside, which propelled the band into mainstream recognition. The band released four more subsequent albums: The Walking Wounded (2007), Shudder (2008), Killing Time (2011), and Cult (2014). Bayside's latest full-length, Vacancy, was released in August 2016, with mostly positive reviews.

Bayside started up in the Bayside, Queens neighborhood of New York City in 2000. They met in an online message board and three weeks into practices, recorded their first demo. On the way to a New Found Glory show on Long Island, they were trying to think of a name to write on a demo CD to give to the band. They settled on "Bayside" as they passed the Bayside train station, with the intention of changing it later. After the show, they did end up finding New Found Glory to pass along their demo, and they listened to the CD in a van behind the venue.

Other bands from the Long Island surrounding area include Brand New, Taking Back Sunday, and The Movielife. Bayside currently consists of lead vocalist/guitarist Anthony Raneri, lead guitarist Jack O'Shea, bassist Nick Ghanbarian, and drummer Chris Guglielmo. They recently celebrated the 10 year anniversary of 2007's The Walking Wounded.

Bayside Set, Night 1:

Already Gone
Sick, Sick, Sick
I’ve Been Dead All Day
Masterpiece
It's Not A Bad Little War
Duality
Stuttering
Blame It On Bad Luck
They Looked Like Strong Hands
Montauk
Devotion And Desire

Photo Credit: Sasha Danielle