The Taste of Chaos is tour put on by Rockstar Energy Drink and this year they recruited the likes of The Early November, Saosin, Taking Back Sunday, and Dashboard Confessional. This tour could not scream nostalgia louder. Everyone that attended really got to enjoy themselves and take themselves back to a much different time and it was genuinely so refreshing.
Photo Credit: Sam Reed Photography
The night kicked off with The Early November. Admittedly, I hadn't really listened to them so I wasn't sure what to expect going into it. But I was pleasantly surprised by what I experienced. Vocalist, Ace Enders has the most smooth and aesthetically pleasing voice and music that accompanies him really makes you want to dance. They kicked the night off with "Frayed in Doubt" to get the crowd warmed up. A show stealing moment came when Ace performed "Ever So Sweet," an emotional and nostalgic song, alone on stage with just his guitar. It was one of those moments that captured your attention, even if you weren't paying attention before it. The night ended out with "Narrow Mouth" which is their number one song on Spotify and a favorite off of their latest album.
Saosin came on board next and as you can expect with Anthony Green, the entire performance was a magical experience. Green is a seasoned performer and he is able to captivate every ounce of your attention. If your attention is not captured by his eccentric body movements, or him putting something in his mouth that maybe shouldn't be there, it's his vocals; both stunning and impressive. Green had an excellent connection with the audience, grabbing some by their heads and singing in their faces and really going out of the way to include them. Soasin opened with "Racing Toward a Red Light," a song off of the album they released this May. Nostalgia was high as they played three songs off of their 2003 album Translating The Name. The night ended with "Seven Years" which is a song off of that album. Fans could be seen back into the furthest away lawn seats lip-singing and dancing to the song with their friends and you could see the crowd transform back to 2003. Seeing Saosin with Anthony Green is a really special thing, and it was evident the audience was impressed with what they saw.
Taking Back Sunday served up the most nostalgia for me. And talk about angst! I love seeing them as an adult because I can appreciate what they were and are so much more. They opened the night off with two bangers in a row playing "Cute Without the 'E' (Cut from the Team)" and "Liar (It Takes One to Know One)" back to back. The entire crowd had packed in, a beach ball was being passed around, and you could see every single person screaming the lyrics back at the top of their lungs and jumping up and down. Vocalist, Adam Lazzara moved across the stage as if he was gliding and kept his energy up throughout their entire hour long set. The set was packed with old fan-favorites and had some songs off of their newest release Happiness Is: The Complete Recordings. Lazzara recognized that most people were there for nostalgia, but promised song "Better Homes and Gardens" really slayed. And he came through. The night ended with their most popular song, "Makedamnsure" and the audience was really going all out for their grand finale.
Dashboard Confessional kicked far more ass live than I anticipated. This was my first time experiencing them live and it was a beautiful experience. The band started the party with "Vindicated" which reminds me how much I love the lyrical content that Dashboard puts out. Following suit with the bands that played before them a lot of the songs played were older fan favorites from Dusk and Summer (2006), A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar (2003), and The Places You Have Come To Fear Most (2001). Considering the more mellow nature of most of the songs, the band was high energy and really delivered an entertaining performance. Vocalist, Chris Carrabba ensured to include as many members of the audience as possible by walking through the ampitheatre and going out to the lawn seats and playing their for awhile. The night ended with "Stolen" and a standing ovation from the crowd chanting for one more song. "Hands Down" was the encore and everyone left the venue smiling ear to ear.