A DAY TO REMEMBER AT CURE INSURANCE ARENA IN TRENTON
As fans filed into the CURE Insurance Arena in Trenton, NJ for A Day to Remember’s “The Degenerates Tour”, there was an air of excitement. As of recent, more shows have been coming through the local arena and it’s been great for music fans in the area. The last time ADTR was here was back in 2013 for the “House Party Tour”, and while quite a bit has changed for the band, their fans stay loyal as ever and ready to throw down.
Starting the night off was Can’t Swim. This was a home state show for them and it was exciting to see them in a much larger setting than usual. They effectively warmed the crowd up and had them limber and ready for Beartooth.
As Beartooth hit the stage, you could feel the crowd starting to ramp up the energy. The band used the space of the stage effectively, with front man Caleb Shomo zooming from side to side as he performed. The mosh pits broke out and the crowd surfers threw themselves up as they yelled along to their favorite songs from the band.
Taking the stage next was I Prevail, and it was apparent that the crowd was just as excited for them as they were for their headliner. I Prevail did a really fantastic job of engaging with the crowd. Having never seen or listened to them prior to this, my jaw was dropped for the majority of their set, and a huge smile stretched across my face. There was this presence with them that was so massive, and it really served as a great reminder for why I got into music in the first place. The way the band commanded the stage was such a site to see and they were the perfect mix of heavy and boppy.
A Day to Remember started their set off behind a large white curtain with their logo projected onto it. As fans of the band heard the first “Duh”, they immediately joined in for the beginning gang vocals of “The Downfall of Us All”. The curtain dropped, firework sparklers went off, and the band went right into the popular track. Throughout the night fans danced, screamed, and moshed their hearts out to their favorite songs including “Better Off This Way”, “Right Back At It Again”, and “2nd Sucks”. The band also performed the new single “Degenerates”, as well as a cover of LIT’s “My Own Worst Enemy”. The band continued the tradition of asking for “human surfers” which has been a unique moment I’ve never seen at another show before. Human surfers are when a person crowd surfs using another person as a surfboard. It’s safe to say things get pretty wild during their set.
A Day to Remember always know how to put on a great show and get the crowd moving. This tour looked different from how many other tours have been because of how minimal the stage design was, but don’t fret – the confetti and toilet paper rolls still went flying! My only gripe with this performance was the set list. For a band with such an extensive discography, I would love to start seeing different songs added onto the set list, so that it’s not nearly identical to so many of their previous tours.
You can check out ADTR on “The Degenerates Tour” now. If you’ve never seen them live before, it’s a really great time, and the lineup for this tour is stacked with some great acts!
Nicole DiBenedetto is a photographer based out of New Jersey. She likes making new friends and meeting new people so catch her out in the pit and say hi!