Fans weather storms to hear Bayside in Tampa

Bayside

By Chyrisse Tabone, Rock At Night Tampa and Vlad, Rock At Night Detroit

Venue: Crowbar, Ybor City, Tampa, Florida-December 14, 2018

Bayside

Pop-punk and sometime Emo band Bayside released their Acoustic Volume 2 album on September 28th via Hopeless Records, subsequently launching their acoustic tour at the end of November.  If anybody has heard the acoustic album, well, it’s a keeper!  Most of their classic pop-punk or emo songs translate very well to acoustic, as the collection is still full-bodied and not stripped to the bone.

Bayside rolled into the Crowbar, Ybor City, Tampa, on what was one of the stormiest days Tampa has observed since summertime. Several inches of rain pounded the Tampa Bay area off and on all day, summoning “Severe Thunderstorm Warnings”.  This did not discourage the loyal, diehard fans in the slightest, as the Crowbar was full of 20-somethings ready to cavort with their favorite band.

Bayside

The stage was cramped with Anthony Raneri (vocals/guitar), Jack O’Shea (lead guitar), Nick Ghanbarian (bass), Chris Guglielmo (drums) on wooden stools or standing. Rounding out the group were two musicians (names unknown) who played the fiddle/keys and hand percussion, providing a “folksy” feel to new versions of Bayside’s classic favorites.

The band began the 90-minute set with “Moceanu” which took on almost a gypsy, two-step beat.  Next up was “Devotion and Desire” which was still rockin’, despite being acoustic-driven. The break-up song carried even more emotion and melancholy than the original, pop-punk version.

As the evening progressed, I observed a lot of the audience gathered around the stage. This was not the pop-punk, body-surfing crowd but one that intently watched, singing along to every lyric.

Anthony Raneri of Bayside. Photo by Vlad.

There were very few cell phones held overhead, doing vanity-Livestreaming on Facebook. These concert-goers, who grew up listening to Bayside as angst-filled teens, were absorbed in the moment.

A few of the songs were re-interpreted and fleshed out with the fiddle or keyboard accompaniment, creating a new vibe for songs like “Howard” (very Caribbean feel) and “The Looked Like Strong Hands” (tinges of Oasis).  The audience shouted out the “ay oh’s” for “Landing Feet First” and “whoa whoa’s” for “It Don’t Exist”, which took on a classic ballad structure.

As I gazed around the rear of the room, many couples were twirling, free-style dancing, and couple-dancing throughout the concert. It was amazing to see the crowd appreciate the retro tone of the songs, which at times took on a Tin Pan Alley, rag-time feel.

Highlights of the concert included the toned-down but still upbeat “Pigsty” and “Don’t Call Me Peanut” with its heart-wrenching lyrics set to haunting melody with minor-chord changes.  Bayside nodded to the 90s with Oasis’ “Don’t Look Back On Anger”, which had the whole venue singing along.  It is hard to believe that song is 22 years old, likely released before many in the audience were even born.

Toward the end of the concert, Anthony Raneri told the audience the band was not going to have an encore since it was so difficult to leave and return to the small stage.  He made the announcement so the audience “would not think they were assholes” after departing.

Looking at all the smiling faces walking out into the torrential downpour after the concert made me believe Bayside’s concert was well-received—and worth getting soaked on a Friday night.

PHOTO GALLERY

 

Video

Upcoming Tour Dates:

11/24 – Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge

11/25 – Chicago, IL @ Cobra Lounge

11/17 – Detroit, MI @ Shelter

11/28 – Toronto, ON @ Hard Luck

11/29 – Buffalo, NY @ The Tralf

11/30 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Rex Theater

12/1 – Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop

12/2 – Newport, KY @ Southgate House

12/4 – Hamden, CT @ Space Ballroom

12/5 – Providence, RI @ The Met

12/6 – Boston, MA @ The Sinclair

12/7 – Brooklyn, NY @ Bell House

12/8 – Asbury Park, NJ @ House of Independents

12/9 – Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church

12/11 – Washington, D.C. @ Sixth & I

12/13 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Hell)

12/14 – Tampa, FL @ Crowbar

12/15 – West Palm Beach, FL @ Respectable Street

12/16 – Orlando, FL @ The Social

1/11 – Houston, TX @ White Oak

1/12 – Dallas, TX @ Gas Monkey

1/13 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda

1/15 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom

1/15 – San Diego, CA @ The Irenic

1/16 – Pomona, CA @ Glass House

1/17 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour

1/19 – Las Vegas, NV @ Backstage Bar

1/20 – Fresno, CA @ Strummer’s

1/21 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall

1/23 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir

1/24 – Seattle, WA @ Crocodile

1/26 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge

1/27 – Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater

1/29 – Minneapolis, MN @ Turf Club

1/30 – Iowa City, IA @ Gabe’s

1/31 – Lawrence, KS @ Granada

2/1 – St. Louis, MO @ Old Rock House

2/2 – Nashville, TN @ The Cowan

 

Acoustic Volume 2 Tracklisting:

  1. Sick Sick Sick
  2. Mary
  3. It Don’t Exist
  4. Duality
  5. Landing Feet First
  6. Howard
  7. Blame It On Bad Luck
  8. I Can’t Go On
  9. Pigsty
  10. I Think I’ll Be Okay
  11. Devotion and Desire

 

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Chyrisse Tabone, Ph.D.
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