By Bailey Shea
On Sunday, November 18, 2018, I attended the sold out The Story So Far show at the Worcester Palladium. During a busy Fall semester, it was difficult to turn out a quality review for that concert that I was so lucky to attend due to my involvement at WHUS Radio. So, nearly two months after the concert, I give you my concert review. Better late than never, I suppose.
You know that a show is going to be filled with energy when it:
- Is sold out
- Has a line wrapping around the entire block just to get in.
From the moment I arrived at the Palladium in Worcester, MA, I could feel that energy exuding from each and every fan waiting in line. Though we were shivering in the November cold, flanked by fresh snow banks, it was clear that, once inside, it would be a night we wouldn’t be able to forget.
First up was Movements, a post-hardcore group from Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. The group formed in 2015 and quickly signed to Fearless Records. Unfortunately, due to the line, I was unable to see much of Movements’ set. By the time I was in the venue and settled enough to enjoy music, the stage crew was already disassembling the stage for the next set.
I couldn’t be sad for long, though. The banner for Movements was removed, to reveal a Citizen flag, featuring a maroon background, white stars and a leopard to coordinate with the album artwork for the band’s 2017 release As You Please. Citizen is a post-hardcore group hailing from Toledo, OH. Knowing that the venue was packed with concert goers, I initially sat in the venue’s balcony to avoid the massive crowd downstairs. However, after seeing the excitement, I couldn’t help but run downstairs to take part. A highlight of the set was their song The Night I Drove Alone off their first album and emo favorite Youth. There was a sense of comradery among the group, as we sang along with the lyrics with extreme passion and emotion.
Next up was Turnover. The band had a soothing surf-rock vibe. Everyone in the venue swayed and bobbed their heads together as Turnover played their relaxed, rolling melodies. I couldn’t help but close my eyes and sway along with the others around me. I felt as if I was being gently rocked to sleep, with Turnover supplying me with modern lullabies. I couldn’t be tired for long, though, as The Story So Far took the stage.
The Story So Far may be regarded as an emo classic. If you shopped at Zumiez and Hot Topic and wore curtain-like fringe in middle school, you were likely a fan of this band. TSSF played a mix of old favorites and recent tracks off their latest album Proper Dose. It was clear that the group has grown since their peak Warped Tour days as have their fan base. The mix of nostalgic tracks that the audience remembered crying to in middle school and new songs that we currently relate to was perfect.
Two months later, people are still talking about the tour, regarding it as one of the best tour lineups emo and post-hardcore fans have seen in some time.