Four Year Strong | Greensboro, NC
Kicking off the night was the Durham-local band The Second After. They performed solid, modern pop-punk and had good energy on stage. Had there been more fans at the show early enough to catch these guys, their set would have been much more fun. With Life Lessons coming on next, the expected genre for the night took a slight turn. Dynamic vocals kept the crowd interested, as well as energy across the board. The slightly heavier five-piece definitely set the tone for the rest of the show.
Grayscale is a band to keep an eye on for the next couple of years. Strong riffs and lyrics upped the fan interaction and changed the energy in the room. They were equally talented across the stage and felt comfortable with what they were performing. Like Pacific once again picked up the pace from the second they hit the stage. Fast guitars and angry vocals make this Canadian pop-punk band hard to brush off. Their stage presence was top-notch and demands to be seen. Next, coming up right before the headliner was Seaway, another Canadian pop-punk band. However, their set and sound were completely different than the previous band. These guys were fun to watch, bouncy and catchy. Seaway are easy to like, making it easy to get a song stuck in your head.
Finally, Four Year Strong set up to take the stage. During their changeover, more and more people came into the crowd and started talking about their favorite FYS album, creating a sense of camaraderie among the crowd already. When the veteran punk-rock band came on, the crowd immediately pushed forward, wanting to get as close to the music as possible. Punching drums, and technical and speedy guitar riffs, all together mixed with memorable lyrics made it clear why this band has the longevity to put together a 10-year anniversary tour. The music had an energy that didn’t want to stop, and neither did the fans. Everybody seemed to know the words, and the band noticed. For the last couple of songs, they urged the crowd to make their way on stage and sing along. The night could have gone on even longer, but eventually Four Year Strong finished a fantastic set, closing out a great show with all-around great music.
Gallery & Review by Connor Schlosser