In the midst of an enormous co-headlining tour with The Used, Taking Back Sunday came home to Long Island the day before their sold out show at Best Buy Theater in New York City. This was not merely a welcome home visit to see family and friends while in the area, but also a rare meet and greet, autograph signing, and acoustic showcase with the combined efforts of independent music store Looney Tunes and Revolution Music Hall hosting the event on Monday April 14th. Quickly selling out upon its announcement a few months ago, the crowd gathered early to meet Adam Lazzara, John Nolan, Eddie Reyes, Shaun Cooper, and Mark O’Connell to obtain autographs and take photos before the acoustic set began at 7:30 PM.
With this being a stripped-down acoustic performance, taking the stage only was Lazzara and Nolan with acoustic guitars in hand as they sat down to sing to the packed room. Opening with new song “Flicker, Fade”, off Happiness Is (2014), set a relaxed mood with fans which responded with applaud. Speaking with the audience on a personal level, Lazzara said thank you to everyone for coming out, and one fan replied thank you, to which Lazzara responded “wow we never had anyone say thanks to us”. Keeping things light and loose, laughter mixed with casual conversations among Lazzara, Nolan, and all in attendance. This was the kind of experience fans only dream about, only to become a reality before their very eyes. Performing songs like “Timberwolves At New Jersey” had fans singing along in excitement. Sounding strong and full of passion, these songs that are usually laced with amplification sounded magical stripped down to acoustic arrangements. Other songs like “Faith (When I Let You Down)” mixed into the performance providing the audience with a nice offering of older songs that really took their long-time fans back reliving special times in both their lives as well as the bands.
The intimate set carried on with more crowd interaction showered by smiles, laughs, and good vibes. Lazzara and Nolan spoke about their show the next day at Best Buy Theater, stating they did not think the name was very fitting for the venue, and joked around they do not even get any cell phone service there. Mixing things up a bit, fans were treated to a cover of Tom Petty’s song “Yer So Bad” which sounded great with strong vocals by Lazzara and Nolan.
One of the biggest surprises occurred when Nolan took the spotlight to performance the Straylight Run’s song “Existentialism On Prom Night”, which received extremely warm cheers and praise. Nolan thanked the audiences in humble fashion and Lazzara came back onto the stage to continue their set. The 45 minute performance concluded with new song “Stood A Chance” and hit “MakeDamnSure”. With plenty of singing, fond memories recollected, and heart-felt emotions shared by fans; this was one of those events this hometown crowd will soon not forget.
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