THE WONDER YEARS AT THE PALLADIUM IN WORCESTER, MA
couple weeks ago I had the pleasure of photographing The Wonder Years’ most recent tour in Worcester, MA at The Palladium. Worriers, Tiny Moving Parts, and Tigers Jaw were supporting this tour and I can’t even imagine a better lineup than that.
Due to getting in a car accident and being stuck in traffic on my way to the venue, I sadly missed seeing Worriers. Even though I didn’t see them, I can still say that they’re an incredible band. Make sure to check out their album, “The Worriers Ruin Everything” and head to a show the next time they play near you.
Next up was Tiny Moving Parts, a math rock band from Minnesota. After seeing TMP live for the first time last February, they quickly became one of my favorite bands. For only being a three-piece band, they put on one of best performances I have ever seen. They’re always full of so much energy and you can tell how much they love their music and playing together. Everyone in the crowd was into the music and crowd surfers were coming nonstop. It’s honestly incredible how the band plays as flawlessly live as they do on their albums. After their set, I heard so many people talking about how amazing it is how the vocalist/guitarists, Dylan Mattheisen, can play that intricately while also singing so passionately. Tiny Moving Parts is a band that I will never get tired of seeing and listening to, and everyone should see them live at least once, even if it’s not your favorite genre of music.
After TMP was Pennsylvania rock band, Tigers Jaw. I’ve been listening to Tigers Jaw for years but this was my first time seeing them and it was amazing. The audience was cheering for them to come on from the moment Tiny Moving Parts finished their set. The support from the crowd for all of the openers was one of the best things. At a lot of shows you can just tell everyone is waiting for the headliner, but here it was like every band playing was as important as the headliner (which is how it should be.) Tigers Jaw put on a strong performance and everyone from the front of the room to the back was singing and moving along to the music. The band still put on a fun show while not being too exuberant, which I like. They were focused on putting on a good performance. Seeing them live made me an even bigger fan and I can’t wait to see them again.
Finally, it was time for The Wonder Years to come on stage. The last time I saw TWY was at Warped Tour in 2015. Back then they put on an incredible performance but this time was outstanding. Everyone in the room was pushing towards the stage before the band even started playing and as soon as the first note was played, the crowd went wild. Instantly, crowd surfers were coming from everywhere and the band was going hard while playing their music. Lead vocalist, Dan Campbell, has one of my favorite stage presences ever. He is full of energy from beginning to end and jumps around the stage while never faltering while singing. I just love seeing the passion coming from the musicians during their performances. The band was on tour in support of their new album ‘Sister Cities’ but still continued to play old favorites. The Wonder Years is a must-see band, especially for pop-punk musicians, because you’ll quickly become inspired. I can easily say that they are one of my favorite bands to photograph and I can’t wait to have the opportunity to do so again.
Every band on this tour is full of talent and passion and I can’t recommend enough that you go and check them all out and possibly go to a show the next time they’re near you!