Just days after the release of their new album, Sweet, Mayday Parade hit the road for their Three Cheers for 20 Years tour, celebrating not only their album release, but also two decades as band. The band is about a third of the way through their biggest headlining tour yet, which kicked off in St. Petersburg, Florida, and is making its way across the US and back before ending with a hometown show in Tallahassee, Florida in June. On Monday, May 5, you could sense the nostalgia in The Van Buren in Phoenix, AZ, as a sold-out crowd excitedly waited to be taken on a journey through all the eras of their favorite band.
Emo band Like Roses from Berkeley, California, kicked off the night with a high energy set. This performance marked their second stop in the Valley this year, having recently supported Charlotte Sands at the kick off party for 8123 Fest back in January. Among other songs, the band played their 2024 EP, Stuck, in full, ending their set with “Easy”, which they dedicated to “all of the hoes” in the crowd. Like Roses is set to appear at Four Chord Music Fest in September before hitting the road in support of Pierce the Veil on their I Can’t Hear You tour this fall.
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An orange shamrock adorned with lights and marked with the band’s phone number illuminated the stage as Grayscale emerged. The pop-punk band out of Philadelphia treated the audience to a setlist of 8 songs which largely consisted of tracks from their latest album, The Hart, released in January. It was clear that the band was no stranger to this crowd, as many could be heard singing along not only to favorites like “In Violet” and “Dirty Bombs,” but also their new music. Vocalist Collin Walsh engaged the crowd often, and his frequent praise for a fan sporting a fedora to the emo show hyped the crowd multiple times before he playfully revealed that there was no man in a fedora as they wrapped their set. The band has already had a busy year, with the release of their fourth studio album, multiple festival appearances, and the recent completion of an Australian tour. Grayscale is showing no signs of letting up any time soon. They are set to headline a tour, Live in Colour, across the UK and EU later this year.
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The energy did not let up as Microwave continued the night, wowing the crowd with their self described “adult mid-tempo psychedelic contemporary rock”. Their stage setup included multiple large, brightly colored mushrooms, a nice touch which added to their psychedelic vibe. While their setlist included a healthy offering of songs from their most recent album, Let’s Start Degeneracy, they did play songs from all of their albums, including favorites like “Lighterless” and “Something Right.” Microwave will head down under after finishing this tour, co-headling an Australian tour with band Free Throw, before appearing on the Furnace Fest and Riot Fest lineups later this year.
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Between sets, fans could be seen taking advantage of various photo opportunities setup throughout the venue, shopping merch, and reminiscing with friends over their favorite memories of Mayday Parade from over the years. As the audience was gearing up for the grand finale, the stage setup was revealed, unveiling what appeared to be two large picture frames surrounding LED screens on either side of the stage, with a massive domed mirror in the center of the two screens which reflected the audience with a “fish-eye” type of effect. The crowd was buzzing with excitement as the lights dimmed, and an interview from Warped Tour when the band was first emerging on the scene began to play on the screens. Fans went wild as Mayday Parade took the stage, immediately launching into “By the Way,” at track off of their new album, Sweet. Although the set kicked off with a track from their newest album, they then took everyone all the way back to the start, with two tracks from their 2006 debut album, Tales Told by Dead Friends. The band made their way (in order) through every era of Mayday Parade, including at least one song from each of their albums. Every member of the band worked the stage, taking turns showcasing their talents on the risers for all to see. Frontman Derek Sanders captivated the audience as he ran around the stage, swinging that glorious hair, all while keeping his vocals tight. The screens in the background contained visuals curated for each song, further elevating the experience. Those screens occasionally flashed song lyrics; however, it was clear the audience did not need any help with lyrics, as fans could be heard screaming the words to every song at the top of their lungs all night long. The band took time between songs to engage with the crowd, reminiscing and sharing gratitude to the fans for their loyalty over the last two decades. The vocalists from each opening band joined Mayday Parade on stage for a song, with Amy Schmalkuche of Like Roses joining for “Never Sure,” and Nathan Hardy of Microwave joining for “Who’s Laughing Now,” which ended the set before the band returned for the encore, joined by Collin Walsh of Grayscale for their final song, fan favorite “Jamie All Over”.
It was a memorable evening, with each band delivering an unforgettable performance. Do not miss Mayday Parade as they continue their Three Cheers for 20 Years tour across the US through June 7. Tickets can be purchased here. Mayday Parade is also set to play Warped Tour and Summerfest before heading to Australia with Jack’s Mannequin and The Home Team later this year.
Setlist: By the Way/ Just Say You're Not Into It/ Three Cheers for Five Years/ Jersey/ I'd Hate to Be You When People Find Out What This Song Is About/ Miserable at Best/ Anywhere but Here/ Bruised and Scarred/ Terrible Things/ Oh Well, Oh Well/ Stay/ Ghosts/ One of Them Will Destroy the Other/ Sunnyland/ Never Sure/ Piece of Your Heart/ Heaven/ One for the Rocks and One for the Scary/ More Like a Crash/ Pretty Good To Feel Something/ Who's Laughing Now/ ENCORE: One Man Drinking Games/ Jamie All Over
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