I’m a complete sucker for nostalgia, so it shouldn’t be a surprise when I tell you that I’m obsessed with anniversary tours specifically 10-year anniversary tours. In the past couple of months, I have been able to attend both of Mayday Parade’s throwback tours and I had the time of my life!
In November the band set off on a tour to commemorate their very first EP, Tales Told By Dead Friends. The venues were tiny, (I’m talking venues I used to watch local bands play) and the crowds were intense. Only the most diehard fans snagged tickets. Since the original EP only has 6 songs on it, the band played other fan favorites and did not disappoint.
Then, a few weeks ago, I went to see Mayday Parade on their 10 year anniversary tour of their first full-length album, A Lesson In Romantics! This album is actually one of my favorites of all time, so I was buzzing with excitement. Mayday played the album from cover to cover, and it was amazing. The crowd was energized and the band gained momentum through each song from that.
I wrote a post a couple of years ago stating that Mayday Parade has the most passion while performing than any other band I’d seen, and to this day I think they rank within the top 5. Their performance of A Lesson In Romantics was so emotionally charged and beautiful. I found myself in tears from the intensity of their songs a few times (very typical of me). To be honest, every time I buy tickets to their show I think to myself “Why did I do this? I’m a broke college student and I’ve already seen them 5 times.” but as soon as they hit the stage I remember why I love seeing them live so much, and I know that I’ll continue to buy tickets to their shows until there are no more shows to go to.
I think one of the reasons I like anniversary tours so much, is that I am able to experience a band’s history, exactly the way they want it to be portrayed. It’s kind of like how I’m bummed I’ll never have the chance to see The Beatles perform live, but seeing Paul McCartney would be just as amazing. You didn’t get to see it when it was happening in real time, but you get to see it 10 years later, and you get to see how far the group has come. Let me know if you’ve been to any anniversary tours, and what you thought of them!
-Swaggie Maggie