An enthusiastic crowd welcomed New York’s Bayside last week at Chicago’s Metro on October 9. The group is currently on tour in support of their recent release, Shudder (Victory), which debuted at #52 on Billboard’s Top 200 Album Sales Chart.
The group has successfully built a dedicated following through their relentless touring even after the tragic car accident that killed their drummer, John Holohan, while on tour in 2005. In fact, a Bayside show has become a fanfare celebration of the band’s determination to persevere.
But even without all the background information, in concert, Bayside was simply awesome. The punk melodies meets metal face-melting guitar solos meets catchy as hell hooks that has the whole damn venue singing along. There were plentiful moments when vocalist Anthony Raneri just stepped back and let the crowd take over.
Props to Raneri not only for yet another great show, but also for thanking the crowd on spending their hard earned money on a rock show in a shitty economy. I’m a total sucker for rock star reality checks.
-Tanya Van Kampen
All Photos by Mariah D. Smith
Bayside: myspace.com/bayside
Victory Records: www.victoryrecords.com