Mayday Parade at Starland Ballroom

November 7– Blending infectious lyrics about relationships and heartbreak with a talented lead singer, Mayday Parade became an instant favorite of mine with their EP, Tales Told By Dead Friends, and their first album, A Lesson In Romantics. Celebrating the release of their sophomore album Anywhere But Here, Mayday Parade co-headlined the 2009 AP Tour Fall Ball, which hit Sayreville’s Starland Ballroom with full force.

The band’s performance was a highlight of the evening. I’ve always enjoyed this band, and seeing them live was a treat. Performance-wise, Mayday Parade put on an impressive show, performing new and old favorites alike; “Three Cheers for Five Years”, “Jersey”, “Kids In Love”, and “The Silence” were all performed with a few others, giving a nice balance of poppy, upbeat tunes and slower love ballads– the slower songs are easily among the band’s best, with single “Miserable At Best” being greatly admired by the audience.

One of my favorite attributes of Mayday Parade is their lead singer, Derek Sanders. His vocal talents are nothing less than impressive, and they were especially great at this concert. While Sanders is a stellar performer, it is mildly disappointing that the band parted ways with second lead vocalist Jason Lancaster, who seemed to be a natural counterpart of Sanders. Although drummer Jake Bundrick and guitarist Jeremy Lenzo fill in for Lancaster’s vocals during older songs, the songs off of Anywhere But Here sadly lack the second set of lead vocals that made Mayday Parade stand apart from many of the other bands in its genre.

The crowd seemed to be more receptive towards the performances of the band’s older material rather than the songs found on Anywhere But Here; the outstanding performance of “Three Cheers For Five Years” overshadowed the performances of songs like “The Silence” and title track “Anywhere But Here.” The band itself seemed to be more connected with their older songs as well, which was also reflected in the set list of the night, consisting of three songs off of their new album and seven songs off their debut album and preceding EP.

All in all, Mayday Parade pulled off a great set, and it surely appealed to everyone in attendance. Though the audience seemed to be satisfied more with the band’s older songs, I feel that in time, they will be able to make the adjustment and start getting comfortable with the new material; likewise, I believe that the band will soon become more connected with their newer material and will be able to perform it with as much enthusiasm as they do with their older songs. Mayday Parade will be co-headlining the Take Action 2010 tour with We The Kings, so make sure you check that tour out!