On Tuesday, April 14th, Indianapolis played host to pop-punk standouts Yellowcard, along with supporting acts Finch and One Ok Rock. I had seen Yellowcard seven times previously, Finch only once before, and had never experienced One Ok Rock. Even though I had seen Yellowcard many times before, I never get tired of their performances. Always great energy, passion, and sound. I caught Finch on the 2014 Vans Warped Tour for the first time and was thoroughly impressed. When I found out they were touring together, I knew I had to catch the show.
The show was held in the Deluxe room at Old National Centre. Fans of each band showed up early to get the best spot possible. Luckily, the Deluxe room allows people to see alright (minus a few columns) from throughout the venue. I was surprised the show was held in the Deluxe, but the room size proved perfect for the size of the crowd. Unfortunately, at times, the instruments overpowered the vocals in each set, so the vocals were a little muddied. Other than that, the venue was pretty great (as usual).
Japanese sensations One Ok Rock kicked off the show. They were vibrant and fun. I loved how each member had such a high energy onstage. One Ok Rock definitely has a poppier sound at times, but then can switch it up and hit it a little harder. The variety in their sound was fantastic.
Finch followed One Ok Rock. From the moment they started it was a passionate, passionate performance. They just powered through their set with the greatest intensity. Finch has a stricter rock sound than the other two acts, but it was pleasantly different. I enjoyed this performance more than at Warped Tour just because I could hear the music better. They are an impressive band, both on disc and live.
Yellowcard performed last in the lineup as the headliners. Like I said before, the vocals were a little hard to hear at times; however, I could not find much fault in Yellowcard's performance. From the first note of the violin to the very last fade out, the crowd was on their feet and screaming at the top of their lungs. Every time I have seen Yellowcard play, each member is jumping around, covering the stage, and just insanely awesome on their respective instruments. Sean (violin) and Ryan Key (vocals/guitar) were the most chatty with the crowd. Those two never failed to get a reaction from the crowd. I really loved the mix of old and new songs on the setlist. My favorite songs were, performance wise, "With You Around", "Way Away", and of course, "Ocean Avenue". Ending with "Ocean Avenue" is always a good choice to end on a super high note. Even though I had seen Yellowcard seven times previously, number 8 was still amazing.
The crowd was enthusiastic throughout the entire show. Everyone was moving, dancing, jumping- you name it. I saw many smiling faces singing along with each band, looking like they had the best time of their lives.
Overall, the show was impeccable. The sound could've been a little better, but it didn't completely detract from the quality of performances so much. I would highly recommend if you are able to catch the tour to attend. Yellowcard is a band I will go see over and over again, and now I'm able to include Finch on that list. One Ok Rock was supremely impressive and I definitely hope to witness another amazing performance from them soon.
For the full photo gallery, please click HERE.
All images by Nicky Parry (She Rock Photography).