A while back, I wrote a column discussing the downfall of the pop punk music scene. This is mainly due to the fact that the master pop punk bands of the early to mid-2000s either don’t exist anymore or are still hanging on but releasing mediocre tracks that will never measure up to the songs of their heyday.
While this is sad, since some of us are living in the past when it comes to our music choices, one plus side to our favorite albums being released so long ago is the possibility of anniversary tours. 2002 was a fantastic year for music and this year is wrapping up with 10-year anniversary tours celebrating some of the best albums of what may have been your youth. Do you feel old yet?
On Oct. 6, Taking Back Sunday took the stage at the Fillmore in Detroit on their “Tell All Your Friends” tour, complete with front man Adam Lazzara’s old microphone tricks. Playing songs like “Cute Without the ‘E’ (Cut From the Team)” and “You’re So Last Summer” from their successful debut album that has had six pressings in the past ten years, pop punkers reminiscing of their high school days were satisfied.
The cover of Sum 41’s pivotal 2002 album “Does This Look Infected?” stands out in people’s memories almost as much as the hits from that album. If you miss singing along to live performances of songs from “Does This Look Infected?” like “Over My Head (Better Off Dead)” or “Still Waiting,” don’t miss their Nov. 4 show at the Royal Oak Music Theatre. We won’t be hearing any of that stuff from “Screaming Bloody Murder.”
New Found Glory will be performing at Detroit’s Magic Stick Dec. 2 on the “Sticks and Stones” tour. “Sticks and Stones” went gold back in 2002 when it was released, so it only makes sense to give fans a set of only songs from the pop punk staple. If you haven’t gotten your tickets for this yet, do so soon because you may run out of time. The Magic Stick only has a capacity of about 500. If you want to bounce along to “My Friends Over You” and “Head On Collision,” in a crowded, sweaty, awesome venue, get on that.
The Starting Line will also be playing this year at St. Andrew’s Hall, to commemorate the anniversary of their first full-length album, “Say It Like You Mean It.” Think about it—when’s the last time you heard “Hello Houston”? When’s the last time you heard it live?
By this point, I’m sure you’re feeling old. All in all, these tours are pretty great for the nostalgic music fan. Straying away from the pop punk genre, would I have liked to see Against Me! play “Against Me! is Reinventing Axl Rose” in its entirety this year? Of course. How about Justin Timberlake playing every song from “Justified” back to back? Don’t deny that you’d love to see it too. But beggars can’t be choosers.
2013 is quickly approaching, and if this year was so great for anniversary tours, one can only imagine what next year will be like. Some of my ideas for 2013 pop punk anniversary tours include AFI playing “Sing the Sorrow,” Fall Out Boy playing “Take This To Your Grave,” Brand New playing “Deja Entendu” and Something Corporate playing “North.” Some of these may already be in the works, but on the chance that a public relations representatives for one of these bands sees this, relay my messages to the band, please and thank you.
