There are very few things cooler than getting to go see one of your favorite bands in concert... That is until you're getting to go see them in concert, photograph them and write about how great they are. Mayday Parade is a band that I grew up listening to and seeing in concert honestly more times than I can count on my hands at this point between Warped Tour, Riot Fest, support tours, and headlining tours, etc. So I’m sure you could guess my excitement getting to document their Welcome To Sunnyland Tour when it made a stop at the Rave in Milwaukee, WI.

Being a tour I had already seen the night before in Chicago, I went into the show very excited to get the chance to photograph it at one of my favorite venues in the midwest. It was even cooler upon realizing that the stage decor had changed from the night before to add a nice “halloweekend” touch by adding spider webs, skeletons and various other Halloween decorations to the beautifully set up trees and drum riser that resembled a wooden fence.

With a setlist perfect for everyone from the die-hard fans who waited outside for hours before doors, to the casual listeners hanging out around the sides and back, they played everything from the first song they wrote as a band (“Three Cheers for Five Years”) to songs off of Sunnyland, even a few covers thrown in the middle both acoustically and full band as well. Frontman, Derek Sanders, kept the crowd enthralled the entire night as he danced around the stage barefoot with the energy matched by the rest of the band throughout the night.

Toward the end of the set, things slow down a little as Derek sits down at a piano and drummer, Jake Bundrick, joins him for a handful of songs there. While at the piano Derek talked a little about how the Rave is one of his favorite venues to play at, as well as one of the venues that they’ve been playing at the longest, even including a story about it being the first venue he ever got drunk at.

Overall it was an incredible night and one I won't be forgetting anytime soon. I highly recommend catching the remaining dates of this tour if possible.

11/01 – Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart’s
11/02 – Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
11/03 – Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre
11/04 – Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
11/06 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
11/07- Toronto, ON @ Rebel
11/08 – Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom
11/09 – Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
11/10 – Boston, MA @ HOB
11/13 – New York, NY @ PlayStation Theater
11/14 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore
11/15 – Silver Spring, MD @ Fillmore Silver Spring
11/16 – Charlotte, NC@ The Fillmore
11/17 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
11/18 – Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works
11/20 – Jacksonville, FL @ Maverick’s
11/21 – Tampa, FL @ The Ritz Ybor
11/23 – Lake Buena Vista, FL @ HOB
11/24 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution Live

By Kaitlyn Johnston