Bayside, Senses Fail
The Showbox, Seattle, WA
03.18.15
Fifteen…
Fifteen hasn’t been an easy haul.
But, here is a very short and very important list of things that Bayside possesses: gumption, punk rock sensibility, and heart.
From a no-name band in Queens trying to hock their demo, to a punk rock powerhouse that has, unfortunately, paid the ultimate price to do what they love, Bayside continues a cycle of inspiration and catharsis, an ingress and egress, between their loving and loyal fan base. I recall a mild November day at Jannus Landing in St. Petersburg, Florida, in 2005. Singer Anthony Raneri and guitarist Jack O’Shea plucked their strings and pushed back tears, stuck in a dreamlike disbelief that their drummer had been killed on Halloween morning, thrown from their tour van and into an icy, black night. The catharsis is real. R.I.P. John Beatz.
Fifteen years…
And so, on Wednesday, Bayside visited the Showbox, headlining their birthday tour and seemingly stronger than ever. Diehard fans filled the venue, and band members took turns throughout the set thanking them for their support. Before performing “Landing,” Raneri brought a couple on stage, which ended in “yes” to a proposal. On multiple occasions, the loud and devoted crowd drowned out the vocals. Raneri kicked off the encore with “Don’t Call Me Peanut,” shadowing an acoustic set that plays out slowly in my mind to this day, with a southern sun setting on tired eyes. He beckoned a swelling sea: “Hey, let’s sing this one together.” The house willingly obliged, and the end of their set felt ever so bittersweet. “Seattle, thank you for fifteen years. See you again!”
The inspiration, for all and everything that it is worth, is real.
New Jersey hardcore band Senses Fail also brought a mighty punch to the gut. Opening to Stone Cold Steve Austin’s theme song, singer Buddy Nielsen packed his set with everything from deep, life-changing conversation to moonwalking. Their energy was unstoppable. The last song on the set list, “Bite to Break Skin,” saw Nielsen jump into the crowd, swallowed whole in the blink of an eye. Senses Fail just released their sixth album, Pull The Thorns From Your Heart, and will be playing with Bayside through early April, along with Man Overboard and Seaway. If you have the opportunity, this tour is a birthday party you shouldn’t skip.
Bayside Set List:?
Pigsty
The Walking Wounded
Duality
Boy
Megan
Already Gone
They’re Not Horses, They’re Unicorns
Tortures of the Damned
Mona Lisa
Montauk
Stuttering
Landing Feet First
Sick, Sick, Sick
Blame It on Bad Luck
They Looked Like Strong Hands
Encore:
Don’t Call Me Peanut
Big Cheese
Devotion and Desire
Senses Fail Set List:
You’re Cute When You Scream
Canine
Calling All Cars
All You Need Is Already Within You
Bloody Romance
Holy Mountain
Closure/Rebirth
Buried a Lie
Can’t Be Saved
Bite to Break Skin
Review by T. Monte
Photos by Sunny Martini
Bayside
Senses Fail
Man Overboard
Seaway
