REVIEW: Mayday Parade gives epic show in SLC
“Remember, remember, the fifth of November…” Well, I think it is safe to say Tuesday was a day I will not be forgetting anytime soon. After class I had the opportunity to go down to Salt Lake City to see my favorite band, Mayday Parade, live in concert for the fifth time. Mayday Parade is the headlining band for this year’s Glamour Kills Tour. Playing with Mayday on this tour are Stages and Stereos, Cartel and Man Overboard.
This was a very special show for me personally because it was my first time seeing Mayday Parade live in almost three years to the date. My friends and I left for Salt Lake right after class Tuesday morning, and we were some of the very first people in line. After about four or five hours of waiting in line in the freezing cold, the doors finally opened. We were very fortunate and got a spot on the front railing, right in center stage – best “seats” in the house.
Stages and Stereos started the show. I hadn’t heard much of them before the show, but I was very impressed. I am definitely planning to listen to them a lot more in the coming weeks. Something fun was they had a member from the recently broken-up band Go Radio playing guitar for them, and after the show he hung out with a few of us fans while we waited to meet Mayday outside their tour bus. It was fun to see how down-to-earth he was and get to know him a bit.
Next, Cartel took the stage. Cartel is a fun band I listened to a lot while in middle school. I felt like they played a great, high-energy show. I personally wished they had switched with Man Overboard so they could have had more time to play more of their songs. But with the short time they had, they put on a fantastic show.
Man Overboard took the stage next. I also didn’t know much of their music before the show. I liked them overall, but after a while I felt like a lot of their music just kind of sounded the same. Maybe I would have felt differently if I had known their music more, but I was ready for their show to end two or three songs before it did.
Then it was the moment we had all been waiting for – the moment I had been waiting three years for. It was time for Mayday Parade to take the stage. Like always, they put on a fantastic live show. First of all, they had a great set list. They opened with their new single, “Ghosts” and just kept it going. The only song I was really disappointed they didn’t play was the hit from their second album, “Kids in Love.” In fact, they didn’t play any songs off of their second album, which really surprised me. But I guess when every song you make is so amazing, you have to make some sacrifices – spoken like a true super-fan, I know.
Another thing that is so fun about seeing Mayday Parade live is how much energy they bring. You can tell they are having so much fun on stage. I am going to try and not sound as biased with this point. I have been to a lot of concerts in my life, and I have seen how a lot of bands present themselves on stage, but I really have to say, Mayday is one of the best with this – especially lead singer Derek Sanders. He makes such a strong connection with the crowd as the show goes on, and you can tell he just loves it. This makes the fans love him more.
My last point goes back to the song selection. Every time I see them, I am impressed that they don’t just play their most popular songs, but they aren’t afraid to throw in a few old and somewhat obscure classics. I have noticed most bands save one of their bigger songs for their encore song to end the night, but Mayday came back on stage and played “The Last Something That Meant Anything.” That is the song that concludes their first EP, released back in 2006. I had never seen them play it live before, so it was a huge treat for me to have them end on that one.
This concert was amazing. I already can’t wait for my next opportunity to see them live. For those of you who haven’t taken much time to listen to Mayday, I highly recommend it. Like a good friend of mine once said, “There is a Mayday Parade song for any mood you are ever in.”