Yellowcard
February 1, 2014
Lupos Hearthbreak Hotel
Providence, RI
On a cold February night in Providence, RI, Yellowcard was in town for the second leg of their Ocean Avenue Acoustic Tour, at the famed Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel. Although the weather was much colder than their current home base in Los Angeles, CA, they knew the energy of a true New England crowd would warm them up immediately.
At a little before 8:00pm, lead singer Ryan Key greeted the crowd, and started the classic acoustic set of the 10-year-old Ocean Avenue album, straight through from beginning to end. Way Away was the perfect song to start the night, as bassist Josh Portman made his presence known. The stage was filled with smoke, glowing light bulbs surrounded the band members, and the overall light show was amazing. As the group moved onto Twentythree, violinist Sean Mackin led off on the vocals, as a small circle pit opened in the middle of the floor. The acoustic set ended with a rousing version of Back Home, as the crowd sang along at the top of their lungs until the last word. 
After a short break, Yellowcard returned for their electric set, and at the start of the hit song For You, and Your Denial, Sean Mackin performed his infamous back flip off the drum riser. To say the crowd went crazy would be an understatement. The band continued through their large catalog of music, covering such songs as Always Summer, Five Becomes Four, and The Takedown, where Ryan Mendez showed off his talent on his ESP guitar, complete with the Detroit Red Wings logo. For their last song, Longineu W. Parsons III (“LP”) performed an amazing drum solo, which ended up being the bridge between Lights and Sounds and an Ocean Avenue finale to end the night.
After the show, Sean Mackin talked about the man who proposed to his girlfriend during the song One Year, Six Months, saying that he sat with him for a song writing session at the 2012 Warped Tour. Sean has remained in contact with him, and was honored to have him propose at the show. That was just another highlight of the great performance turned in by the band, as they will be welcomed back in the city for years to come.
Review by: Dave Gannon
Yellowcard
