A man with long hair singing into a microphone.

A man with long hair singing into a microphone.


Taking Back Sunday homecoming with Transit & Polor Bear Club at The Emporium Patchogue, NY 11-7-13 (Exclusive Coverage)

When you travel the world on tour it can be both a grand experience and a difficulty to be away from home so much. Rock band Taking Back Sunday announced a month long fall tour back in August with Transit and Polar Bear Club. The tour took the band to many cities they had not been to in some time. On Thursday November 7th, that month long tour came to an end right at home for the band here on Long Island in Patchogue, NY at The Emporium. This seemed to be the perfectly planned tour, ending things right where it all started 14 years ago. The welcome home party was grand with a sold out show of adoring fans.

Starting the party were Boston, MA emo rockers Transit. The band has been around for some years now with a few progressions in their sound, starting out as a straight pop punk band to a more emo/indie rock sound later on. Keeping essentially the same core members together since their inception, the band has achieved popularity with successful albums and a spot on the Warped Tour in 2012. Their time on stage was filled with emotion and passion. With clean guitar melodies provided by Tim Landers and Torre Cioffi, each song sounded perfect. Vocalist Joe Boynton sang his heart out through each song performed, bringing the lyrics to life. Transit has made a wonderful transition over the years, and their popularity continues to grow with the success of their latest album Young New England.

Our next guest was upstate New York natives Polar Bear Club. Making a name for themselves since 2005, the band has endured some line-up changes over the years. Maintaining Jimmy Stadt (vocalist) and Chris Browne (guitar/vocals), they have kept the music flowing with a series of interesting albums. The band took the stage with a high level of energy which had the large crowd dancing about. Playing fan favorites like “Blood Balloon” had all watching smiling. Stadt moved about showing excellent stage presence as the band sounded amazingly on time and tight. The guitars were heavy and melodic, and the drumming of Steve Port was a driving force behind this energetic performance. There was a good deal of crowd interaction, and songs like “Another Night in the Rock” caused a mirror reflection of the band jumping up and down as well as the audience. Their 11 song set was filled with a good mix of their earlier and newer material. If you are not familiar with Polar Bear Club we suggestion you check out their new album Death Chord (2013) and familiarize yourself with the scene’s best kept secret.

It was now time for the homecoming event all had been waiting for. Packed with fans of all ages from the bars in the back, to the VIP sections above, to the full floor; this place was ready to explode. Taking Back Sunday has built a strong fan base over the past decade and a half with their energetic stage show and emotionally driven brand of rock. With a few gold records to their name there is no doubt they sustained international success.

Taking Back Sunday stormed onto the stage with force. Blasting through their set including tracks like “Liar (It Takes One to Know One)” and “Timberwolves at New Jersey”; Adam Lazzara sang at a high level throughout the set. After a month long tour you’d think their energy levels would have drained, but they rocked it as if it was their first show on the tour. It’s obvious coming back to Long Island and feeding off the crowd energy lifted the band to a higher level. It was rather pleasing to see the camaraderie the band had with one another on stage. It’s a testament to their longevity and friendships that they get along so well after all these years together. Their warmth toward each other even extended to the stage crew as well.

Their set marched on at a rapid pace, including popular songs covering all 5 of their records, including tracks like “A Decade Under the Influence” and “You’re So Last Summer”. Emporium would best be described as electric with an energy flowing from the stage all the way toward the back with fans singing and screaming along each and every word. The set winded down with tracks like “Cute Without the ‘E’ (Cut From the Team)” only to be extended to a much appreciated encore including their biggest hit “MakeDamnSure”. Taking Back Sunday’s closing night of their fall tour was a night to remember. They sounded just as good as, if not better than, a decade ago.

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