Erika Norton | Echo
In honor of the 10th anniversary of the "Ocean Avenue" album, Yellowcard's celebratory world tour stopped in Indianapolis Saturday night in the Egyptian Room at Old National Centre.
With their acoustic interpretation of the platinum album dropping last August, the alternative pop-punk band played through the album track-by-track acoustically for the first half of the concert. After the less-than-stellar opening act of singer Geoff Rickly from the band called Thursday, the crowd gladly welcomed Yellowcard to the stage.
Lead singer Ryan Key had only two rules for the night: Put the phones down and sing as loud as humanly possible. The goal of the audience members was to lose their voices, Key said.As the band sang straight through the 2003 album, there were only a few lights above them and on the stage, giving the show an intimate feel. As Key sang "Empty Apartment," only one light accompanied him on the stage.
The venue seemed to know every word to every song. After the more upbeat "Life of a Salesman," back-up vocalist and violin player Sean Mackin complimented the audience.
"You guys sound good-you look good," Mackin said. "It's awesome!"
Mackin went on to say how great of a time he was having after singing "Miles Apart," where he sings lead vocal.
"I know I'm smiling like an idiot up here, but I'm having so much fun," Mackin said. "It's all because of you guys."
Yellowcard came together in the late 1990s, and many audience members were longtime fans of the band. Songs like "Twentythree" hit home, since they are now around that age.
"Twenty-three seemed so old back then," reminisced Taylor student and concert-goer Hanna Ryberg, who admitted seeing Yellowcard was her teenage dream coming true.
The highlight of the first set and turning point of the show was when the band performed "Believe," a song written in honor of the firefighters and police officers who lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks on New York City. With a moving violin solo by Mackin and a solo by guitarist Ryan Mendez, the audience's reaction to the song was monstrous applause.
Yellowcard surprised some of the audience by coming back and playing another full set of newer material, but this time it was all electric. With the vibe of the crowd still amped up from the "Believe" performance, the next songs were as sing-along as before, but more enthusiastic.
The band exploded with charisma onstage, as did the audience. An electric violin solo by Mackin on the song "The Takedown" from their 2007 album Paper Walls kept the excitement going.
Key was blown away by the audience's change of pace and said that song was undeniably the best one yet. He confessed he thought the Indianapolis crowd couldn't top the crowd at the Riot Fest in Chicago, where they had played the day before.
"Wow, I did not see this coming," Key admitted. "This was just was good as Chicago yesterday."
The band continued to play their more upbeat hits from the albums succeeding "Ocean Avenue," showcasing tracks from their 2012 album "Southern Air." The band couldn't get over the crowd's reaction.
"I don't want this one to end," Key admitted as the show wound down. He laughed and said "We should have a slumber party!"
Before closing out the show, Key expressed how special this show was to him. He hinted that after their world tour is done, they may go into the studio and make a new record next year, which the crowd was thrilled to hear.
Closing with the song "Lights and Sounds," the grand finale began with an impressive drum solo by Longineu W. Parsons III, drummer since the band's formation in 1997. The solo led into an encore of their biggest hit and title song "Ocean Avenue," bringing the audience together for one more sing-along.
Yellowcard's next tour stop is the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach, S.C., on Sept. 20.
