The Wonder Years : Live Review

The Wonder Years kicked off their headlining tour at Webster Hall in New York City playing both October 17th and 18th. On tour with them is Motion City Soundtrack, State Champs and You Blew It.

The band walked out to the intro of “Brothers &” off of the latest record, No Closer To Heaven, which was released September 4 via Hopeless Records. Dan Campbell, Matt Brasch, Casey Cavaliere, Josh Martin, Mike Kennedy, and Nick Steinborn never fail to disappoint. The crowd was fully involved in the show from the second it started to the very end of the set. The opening song, “Brothers &” went right into the song that follows it on the new record, a song called “Cardinals.” The reprise of “we’re no saviors, if we can’t save our brothers” nearly became a chant at the beginning of the show and throughout some of the other songs from No Closer To Heaven.

The band slammed through a set list of both new and old songs. Lead vocalist Dan Campbell, generally known as Soupy, had palpable emotion in every song. The band was very excited to start the tour in NYC and Soupy made it very clear by repeating the sentiment several times. In between a few songs he talked about when The Wonder Years started in 2005, they couldn’t book a show in NYC and now they are playing it every tour and nearly sold out two dates at Webster Hall in the largest room. These shows had the most production I’ve seen from this band, including fog machines that shot up columns of smoke during different parts of several of the songs.

In a live setting you see how Josh Martin and Matt Brasch’s backup vocals balance out and harmonize well with Soupy’s voice. It is apparent The Wonder Years have been a band for a while because they know how to put on a show and keep the crowd entertained. The crowd didn’t hold back from screaming every word, and after two nights of The Wonder Years I actually lost my voice. They have been a favorite band of mine since Suburbia I Have Given You My All, And Now I Am Nothing came out in 2011. The passion from the crowd was very intense through the entire set. The Wonder Years played a “slower” song to “turn the intensity down for a breather.” The “slower” song was “Devil In My Bloodstream” from The Greatest Generation, which despite being slow did not lack enthusiasm from the audience.

The Wonder Years debuted several songs from their new album, No Closer To Heaven like “You In January,” “A Song for Ernest Hemingway” and “The Bluest Blue.” The encore consisted of “I Just Want To Sell Out My Funeral” from The Greatest Generation, “Cigarettes & Saints” from No Closer to Heaven and “Came Out Swinging” from The Upsides. “Cigarettes & Saints” was especially emotional and intense because the lyrics are some of the heaviest from The Wonder Years. The song started with intense keyboard from Nick Steinborn and the slow build of guitar from Matt Brasch and Josh Martin. Near the end of the song, Matt Brasch handed his guitar to Soupy and then hopped behind the second drum set on stage. It was very interesting to me because I had never seen Soupy play the guitar before. It was very cool to see him do something out of the ordinary. The end of “Cigarettes & Saints” becomes a crescendo of noise and vocals all while proving a point about the pharmaceutical industry. “These wolves in their suits and ties, saying ‘Kid you can trust me.’ Charming Southern drawls, sunken eyes. Buying goodwill in hotel lobbies, got fistful of pills to make sure you don’t hurt no more, you don’t got to feel anything...” With each line, the band builds behind Campbell’s voice until it gets to the top of “you can’t have my friends, you can’t have my brothers. No you can’t have me!” The energy during the whole song was incredible because the band was at such a high intensity and had every person in the crowd along with them.

October 18 was very close to sold out but was still a massive crowd. Although, I had gone the night before and a lot of others in the crowd did as well, it did not take away the excitement I felt during the opening. The band raced through the first few songs with the same high intensity and energy as they had the night before.

Through the first 5 songs the band covered every one of their albums. They played “Brother &” and “Cardinals” with all of the smoke machines they had the night before followed by “Passing Through A Screen Door” from The Greatest Generation. Instead of playing “Melrose Diner” from The Upsides, the Wonder Years played “Logan Circle” which is a crowd favorite followed by one of my personal favorites, “Hoodie Weather” off of the sophomore record, Suburbia I Have Given You My All, And Now I Am Nothing. This song does not make the set list all that often so a lot of people were very excited. The last time the band played this song was at the second night of their 10 Year Memorial weekend back in February when they played Suburbia in full.

A lot of songs were the same as the night before, however, Soupy had promised a few different ones added in and the band kept their promise. The band added a few crowd favorites, “Coffee Eyes” from The Upsides and “A Raindance in Traffic” from The Greatest Generation. Every time I see them they have so much energy and Soupy and company know how to get the crowd involved immediately. There is something so cool about a pop-punk show and the community that forms because everyone is there for the same reasons. Music should make you feel excitement, passion, sadness, happiness, or something. Every band from You Blew It, to The Wonder Years made people feel the emotions of every song. The double drums in “Cigarettes and Saints” add to the intensity of the refrain at the end. This band is a must see.