Driveways Bring Their First Headlining Tour to the Granada Theater in Dallas, TX

We all have that one band we’d travel to see live, even if it means going to another state or city. For me, Driveways is at the very top of that list, and when I heard they were going on their first-ever headlining tour with only one Texas date in the arsenal, I didn't hesitate to make the six-hour trip to Dallas. Last October, I made the same drive to see them open up for Bilmuri, and although they played a handful of my favorite songs, I wanted more! This time around, I jammed their entire discography and wondered which fan favorite hits and deep cuts they would throw into the setlist. Like Roses and Action/Adventure joined them on the "It's Only Been A Decade" tour for a jam-packed night of heartfelt singalongs, light moshing, and making lasting memories at the Granada Theater.

I arrived at the venue early to do one of my favorite things—search for free parking as close as possible. Luckily enough, I found a spot off McCommas Boulevard (big points for doing this in a city I'm not familiar with) and jogged over to the historic theater right in time to jump into Driveways' merch line before it got too packed. Inside, I could hear conversations from different concertgoers about which songs they hoped to hear from various bands throughout the night and about the plateau-style layout of the general admission area, which left no room for a barricade and a strict no-crowdsurfing rule. After picking up a Skull and Flowers shirt, I witnessed the coolest thing ever! A die-hard Driveways fan delivered an enormous watercolor painting inspired by the band to the merch guy and asked if he could kindly pass it on to them. Little did she know, the universe would reward her with a setlist by the end of the night.

Dallas' own alternative rock/pop punk band, Page 9, kicked the night off with a bang! Vocalist Josh Martinez got the crowd moving quickly by calling for hands up for their song "Handsome," and by the time they got to "Ready Player 2," we were all feeling the music. Their confidence and charisma shone throughout their set, and their crowd engagement and performance showed they were excited to be the local opening act. Bassist Jeremy Bergthold took a turn on the microphone and shared, "Hey Granada! We're from right here in Dallas, Texas. We're just four guys chasing this dream like Driveways and Like Roses. We're totally independent, a DIY band with big dreams. If you like what you're hearing, please check us out!"

Throughout the set, they got the crowd to turn on the flashlights on their phones for a song and took a group picture with everyone throwing up their metal horns in the sky and shouting, "I love you, Chad," to their photographer, who I believe may be named Chad. They also thanked Driveways and the team at Granada for having them, too. Their last moments on stage included an open challenge to everyone who dared to be their best friends to DM them their go-to Taco Bell order and performed a pop-goes-punk-style cover of "Wait for It" from Hamilton, which was their first taste of going viral on the internet.

Before Action/Adventure took the stage, spaces filled up quickly in the bottom-level area closest to the stage until we were all shoulder to shoulder. People were talking about how hyped they were to see the heavy pop-punk project from Chicago and how the band was in Dallas a few weeks prior on a tour with Hit the Lights, delivering a memorable, high-energy performance. This was my first time hearing about them, and everyone's genuine excitement and words of praise made me stoked that I was in the right spot to take it all in.

Action/Adventure took the evening to the next level with heavy-hitting breakdowns, fast punk beats on the drums, and catchy choruses in songs such as "Real Juicer Hours" and "That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime."

"We're a band called Action/Adventure from Chicago! Thank you for coming out early! Show some love to Page 9 for opening the night. We are 7 days into this tour, and all the bands have performed for 7 days in a row. Let's go! Give some love for Like Roses and Driveways! Let's keep this going. This song is called Disasterpiece. Bounce! Bounce! Bounce!" - lead vocalist Blake Evaristo

From that moment on, the room was filled with kinetic energy as everyone jumped up and down along with the band and mosh pits broke out across every level of the Granada Theater. My favorite songs from their performance were the three mentioned earlier, along with "Floor Time" and "Spiral." They mentioned that all proceeds made from their merch are going right back into their lengthy list of transportation problems, and although there were setbacks due to a broken gas gauge and tires flying off of the van, they're excited to be here.

I can honestly say that from here on out, I'm hitting up their shows whenever they're in my area. If you're a fan of heavy pop punk and melodic Midwest emo bands like Four Year Strong and Real Friends, I highly recommend adding Action/Adventure to your road trip playlist and catching them in a city near you—especially at a venue where you can crowdsurf!

Up next was Like Roses from Berkeley, California, another band I experienced for the first time. By the end of their set, I was left speechless and wanted to know more about them. They have a wonderful way of making you feel something real through their deep lyrics about heartbreak and grief, intense stage presence, and Amy Schmalkuche's emotionally charged vocal range that will give you chills down your spine. They started their set strong with "Splenetic," and a group of Like Rosalites shrieked with joy and sang along to every word. Drummer Preston Harper went a little too hard and broke something on the kit, which led Amy to segue into an intimate conversation with the crowd while he fixed it.

"It's not every day we do this, but it's time to chat and say whatever we want. The first time we played in Dallas was 3 years ago, and I didn't know it was going to be outside." The crowd reacted with "ooos" and "awws" while she continued, "It was so hot, but it was great. I watched a video, and you could see the light leave my eyes. I started handing the microphone off to the crowd because I thought I was going to die." - Amy Schmalkuche

Preston revived the drumset with a few beats from the kick pedal, and the band powered on with a thunderous performance of "Wrist." Touring guitarist Randy Moore of Bones Shredder and bassist Kayla Gonzalez were all over the stage headbanging and running up to their bandmates to play right next to them, while Amy continued to turn heads with her unique, raspy singing that added a layer of raw passion to their lyrics. Their songs "Pretty Things" and "Broken Things" had everyone rocking out, and they ended their set to the whole front area singing along to "Easy." Fans rushed over to the stage to tell the band how amazing they were, and Amy took the time to lean over the stage and talk to as many fans as she could while handing out guitar picks and setlists. Like Roses are definitely going places, with their next tour being with Sleeping With Sirens and Arm's Length in the UK. I highly recommend checking them out if you dig music like Taking Back Sunday and Mayday Parade.

With little to no introduction, Driveways took the stage with two high-energy songs back to back, "Motions" and "Skulls and Flowers," that turned the crowd absolutely feral with drinks flying across the room and one of the rowdiest mosh pits I've ever seen at their concerts. This was their first time back in Dallas since performing with Bilmuri last October, and it was an incredible feeling being in a room full of people who sang loudly to every song. Their setlist consisted of 16 songs across their discography, with throwbacks dating back to their 2016 Side Mirror EP, which truly honored the "It's Been Over A Decade" theme of the tour.

"Believe it or not, this is our 10-year anniversary as a band. Even though we wanted to play some old stuff and deep cuts tonight, we also put out a new song last week called Melancholy," vocalist Pat Finnegan announced as the crowd roared with cheers. He continued, "Thank you very much. That means the world to us that you guys still **** with the new stuff. We've only played this song live a few times; this will be the third time."

A few standout moments of their set included Pat's reaction as the entire room echoed the lyrics to "Drop Dead," the connection Pat, Ryan, and Derek shared with each other on stage, and the band's heartfelt reactions with the audience between songs. They reflected on how grateful they were to have spent the last ten years making music, to have two incredible bands supporting them, and how appreciative they were to see everyone show up for their first real tour. They even asked if we were lucky enough to catch the opening local band, Page 9, and "The Woo Queen," referring to Amy Schmalkuche, before they led into a 12-minute-long performance of "Tempest," a song that describes their early formation of a band, the beginning of writing different songs, and the pain of losing a loved one.

"I just want a moment to say that we don't do the fake hide-behind-the-stage encores and don't want to waste your time tonight. We have 2 more songs for you, but before we do that, I want to say from the bottom of my heart, because this is our 10-year anniversary of a band and our first real headlining tour, that I'm just so appreciative and humbled and thankful for you guys coming out tonight. Derrick and Ryan talk about it all the time—how it's wild. The concept that we have fans that want to hear our music is crazy and awesome. The fact we're so far from home in Dallas, a city that I've only been to once before, and see so many familiar faces means the world to me. Thank you all very much. This song is called "Skeptic"—Pat Finnegan.

Driveways ended their set with their top hit "October Forever" before sending us out into the night. Drummer Ryan Passariello and bassist Derek Serino hung out on stage, passing out high fives and signing vinyls, wristbands, and water bottles before loading out. The "It's Been A Decade" tour continues until August 20th; however, if you missed Driveways here in Texas, you still have a chance! They'll be coming back this year in October supporting Bayside along with Grave Secrets.