The year is 2004. You’re making your way through high school and all the stressful crap that comes with it. You just had a fight with your boyfriend or girlfriend and instead of communicating like a normal person, you’re sitting on MSN, pondering the perfect emo song lyrics for your display name to really express how angry you are. Story of the Year blares on your Limewire playlist and voilà! The display name choices are endless, with the abundance of material from their album Page Avenue.
Joining the list of bands and artists that make me feel old are emo rockers Story of the Year, who are currently on a world tour to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their band’s founding.th anniversary of their breakthrough album Page Avenue. Thursday night was like any other as I trudged through good old Melbourne town to the Forum and as I approached it was a sight to behold. The evening’s eager customers were queuing around the block waiting to get in and the sea of black was a stark contrast to the brightly coloured walls of Hosier Lane where they waited. I’m glad my wardrobe choice fits the uniform scheme of black Vans (albeit with a splash of leopard print), black jeans and a touch of flannel. Never has my millennial heart felt more affirmed in black skinny jeans than with this group.
When I entered the theatre, I found a cosy corner where I was welcomed by the first act of the evening, the metalcore rockers from Melbourne, Behind purple eyes. Their set started with loud applause, their heavy bass lines echoed through the room and made me feel like I had a defibrillator attached to my body. The whole band took up the entire stage as they ran through their setlist which included one of their latest killer tracks, Dead drop, dead. Lead singer Josh Stuart nailed his vocals and while I understand and appreciate the skills and techniques it takes to sing “Screamo,” I can’t help but sympathize and get a sore throat just listening. These guys put on a great, high energy set and then celebrated by taking a selfie with the crowd before leaving the stage.
Behind the scenes at the Crimson Eyes Gallery
Since the sold-out theater is now really packed, The senses fail were up next and they certainly kept the energy level in the hall high. Their hectic setlist, which included: Lady in a blue dress, Burying a lie, Biting to injure the skin and Irony of dying had the crowd fired up and singing along to their favorite songs. When lead singer Buddy Nielsen asked the crowd how many people needed babysitters tonight, it was met with laughter and huge cheers from the middle-aged crowd. But the biggest cheer came when the next question was asked, how many people there were smart enough not to have kids. Just another stark reminder that none of us are preteens anymore. The band rounded out their set with a wicked medley of covers, including Chop Suey (System of a Down), Down with the disease (Disturbed) and Breaking things (Limp Bizkit).
Senses Fail Gallery
There was now a buzz of activity and excitement in the crowd as the drinks flowed as freely as the entertainment. At this point I moved to a safer seat at the back of the theater, and DAMN, since when did an emo crowd get so big? I’m not actually that small and I usually never have any problems at concerts, but I was surrounded by literally 7-foot-tall giants, which made my view extremely limited even from the raised audience area. Regardless, my ears were still working (just about), so that was all that really mattered. As it got dark again, the familiar intro to Marky Mark & the Funky Bunchs started playing Good vibrations blared from the speakers to announce the arrival of Story of the Year on stage. It continued straight away And the hero will drownwhere the crowd immediately curled up in excitement and formed a violent mosh pit at the front. Dive right in and Divide and conquer Closely followed by singer Dan Marsala, who showed off his vocal prowess, switching seamlessly between normal singing and screamo singing. While this music may not be to everyone’s taste, one must also appreciate the technique required to achieve this so smoothly.
With the instantly recognizable and haunting guitar intro, it was time for the emo choir to gather and for the “stars to cry their blackest tears tonight” because it was time to belt out one of my absolute favorite songs, Hymn of our death daywhich was sung by the crowd with the same passion and heart one would sing any kind of anthem with – national or otherwise. Moshing and crowd surfing was still going on in abundance as security made their money that night while the band worked through their setlist. It wasn’t long before someone yelled “SHOEY,” bringing the event to a halt as the band had to negotiate this with the crowd. Marsala showed his devotion to the cause by showing off his new leg tattoo:, you guessed it. A Shoey. There was some back and forth, and when it was suggested that Marsala do the Shoey with a White Claw instead of a beer, this was met with boos and sheer disgust from the crowd. Eventually he saw his mistake, found a beer and did it to great approval from the most disgusting Shoey he could find, and then it was on with the show.
To fill up their setlist, SOTY briefly deviated from the Page Avenue album and sang some songs from their other albums, including War, We don’t care and Real Life. I got goosebumps when the intro to another of my favorite songs sounded, Swallow the knife, and with its almost militaristic snare drum beat that kicks in for the pre-chorus, it is one that hits me – and obviously many others, judging by the people around me – right in the heart. The more rocky ballad style Sidewalks had the crowd pulling out their old telephone lamps and swaying along as they took over the lead vocals for an unforgettable and moving sing-along. As the surging and optimistic In the shadow played, the front of the theater was a confusing tangle of limbs and heads being thrown around as the crowd tried to surf their way through the space. The energetic and fast Falling down The band requested a circle pit and the crowd happily obliged. As if mosh pits didn’t stress me out enough, circle pits are next level and look equally spectacular and terrifying.
This hectic night was coming to an end and we were warned that there was only one song left for the night, where everyone knew what was coming. We got ready to “pour our hearts out” as the band played one of their biggest hits to close out their show, Until my dying day. Once again, the passion and dedication with which the crowd screamed this song was admirable, and when they sang “My hands around your throat and I think I hate you” you just knew that everyone there had sung that at some point during a bad breakup. The band played this song with all their might, and with no encore, it was the perfect end to a brilliant evening.
This was definitely a performance to remember and Story of the Year were as energetic and upbeat as ever, blowing everyone away with their skill and dedication not only to their craft but to their fans as well. Despite their specific musical genre, their songs with their emotional lyrics have the ability to draw in fans who wouldn’t normally listen to their style of music. I think it’s fair to assume that after this night of incredibly great music and nostalgia, the emo elders of the community left with happy and fulfilled black hearts and even a hint of a smile on their faces. Rawr XD.
Story of the Year – Gallery
Photo credit: Adam Portelli
Thanks to Dallas Does PR & Destroy All Lines for media access
