July 8, 2010 – Scream It Like You Mean It Tour in Sayreville, NJ

New Jersey brought out one hell of a crowd to kick off the Scream It Like You Mean It Tour! Starland Ballroom was completely packed; way more than usual. To match the amped up crowd, every band brought their A-game.  With special guest The Devil Wears Prada, the line-up for this tour couldn’t have been put together any better. An intense balance of screams, keys, breakdowns, and lyrics of understanding – these bands had what this generation of alternative/heavy music-lovers feed on. Specifically Dance Gavin Dance and We Came As Romans had the best performances of the night. Both had very high energy and constantly gave the crowd something to keep not only their ears, but eyes entertained. Definitely bands to add to your bucket-list of live performances to see in the future (multiple times at that).

June 20, 2010 & June 26, 2010 – Bamboozle Roadshow in Philadelphia & Long Island

With the lineups changing for every stop on the tour, it was pretty cool seeing the bands at different times in the day. Although most of the bands played the same set every night, Third Eye Blind changed it up which was awesome. Speaking of TEB, the lineup for this year’s Roadshow was a fun mix to listen to and enjoy. It brought out a wider range of ages and sent everyone back to those grade school days when Simple Plan’s “I’m Addicted” was on repeat and Good Charlotte’s album “The Chronicles of Life and Death” set sail. The best part about this lineup is the bands got the chance to play and make friends with bands that inspired themselves growing up. Based on tweets from Jack and Alex from All Time Low, this tour is something they will never forget.

That said, the general feel of the Bamboozle Roadshow was very upbeat and exciting but not to the intensity of the Bamboozle Right/Left or Warped Tour where you’re running to catch a band every 20-30 minutes. There are two stages, but once the side stage is finished, the main stage sets off. However, just like those bigger festivals, there’s a designated spot for merch, crazy lines for signings, overpriced water and food, and of course the amazing array of people. Everything just adds up to a sick tour to blog about for sure.

April 7, 2010 – A Day To Remember, August Burns Red, Silverstein, Enter Shikari in Philadelphia

Toursick North America 2010′s Philadelphia stop was sold out, and you could definitely tell the crowd throughly enjoyed it. From the opening band to the headliner, the fans were going nuts and sweating since they walked through the doors. Enter Shikari got the crowd pretty hyped up and brought about an energetic vibe. Next Silverstein brought their usual screamo set leaving the crowd stoked for the last two bands. August Burns Red was simply incredible. Every member was clearly very talented in their own ways and put together, they created insanity. Finally, A Day To Remember’s set was outstanding; very visually appealing and their set was well though out switching up between new/old albums, playing “If It Means A Lot To You” second to last, and ending the set with bursts of smoke, confetti, and streamers everywhere.

March 10, 2010 — Jonny Craig, Tides of Man, Eye Alaska + We Are The In Crowd in Philadelphia

After an interesting start with the venue hosting two shows in one night, We Are The In Crowd took the stage before Jonny Craig’s solo tour started up. When ModSun began, I honestly just watched – there was not a big enough crowd to do good for him publicity wise in photos nor was the ligthing or act anything worth wasting shots on. However, Eye Alaska met expectations of putting on a good show. Tides of Man honestly weren’t anything special. When the show felt like it was going downhill, Jonny Craig came on and made the night worth attending. He may seem like a jerk or unpleasant person to talk to, but man can this guy sing.

Photos by Stephanie Gomez

December 13th, 2009 — Vanna, Therefore I Am, A Loss For Words in Delaware

Massachusetts-based bands, Vanna, Therefore I Am, and A Loss For Words embarked on an 18-date tour this winter. Having seen A Loss For Words back in 2006, it was great to see them again four years later now touring with these bands. That said, AL4W put on a fun, energetic show as always. Following bands Therefore I Am and Vanna impressed me with their equally exciting sets. I was especially fond of Therefore I Am’s frontman, Alex Correla, when he spoke to the crowd of why we’re all here and how much the times have changed what with technology’s advances and speaking face to face with other people becoming awkward. Next chance you get to speak with him or see TIA, listen.