Yellowcard
October 26, 2016
The Showbox – Seattle, WA
The night had finally come, it was Yellowcard’s last show to ever happen in Seattle. The show was more than sold out, and the line was wrapping around the block. It was pouring rain, but that did not stop the fans from waiting multiple hours. For 20 years, this iconic band has been making incredible records, touring around the world, and making a name for pop-punk! You could tell that the fans were full of mixed emotions all night. Most were so excited to see their favorite band while others were heartbroken that this would be the last time. No matter how you felt about the night, everyone could agree that they were ready for it to begin.
The tour consisted of two newer supporting acts for The Final World tour, DryJacket & Like Torches. DryJacket happen to be signed to the same label as Yellowcard, Hopeless Records. Seattle also had the pleasure of seeing local favorite, who recently came out of a hiatus last year, Acceptance! Each of the bands gave excellent performances, especially Like Torches. They’re a band who traveled all the way from Sweden, they really stood out to the crowd. They didn’t just have a good performance, they also connected with the crowd and were making jokes in between songs off the albums, Keep Your Head High and Shelter, which were both produced by Ryan Key (Yellowcard.) These bands did a great job at getting the crowd ready for the show, which is the key to any opening band.
Now for a real special treat, Acceptance! They are Seattle natives who have been around since 1998, but were on a hiatus from 2006-2015. Seattle has always been a city that has a lot of love for the local music, so when it was announced that they were opening on this show, that had so many fans even more excited. The crowd was so ready to rock out, everyone was singing along to the classic favorites, In Too Far & So Contagious. During their performance, the band announced they would be releasing new music early next year. Jason Vena & Sean Mackin (Yellowcard) have been best friends for over 15 years, being able to share the stage together in a long time was treat. Being able to say hello to one band that’s been missed may have made saying goodbye to another a little easier.
It was finally time for what we all were anticipating we well as dreading… Yellowcard! The intro to their set was a voice over explaining that this was the last show, it gave a message about enjoying the show and not recording it on your phones which made most people laugh. As they slowly came out one at a time fans were screaming, and a few were probably crying, I mean this was the last time they were performing, so who could blame them? The night started off with Believe and Lights + Sounds. The band paused to talk a little bit more about their time as a band give some introduction. Ryan Key proceeded to talk about a song that means a lot to him Sing For Me. It’s a special song to him about his aunt who passed; They were extremely close and he shared so much of himself with her. It was emotional but so connecting. The rest of the songs consisted of Awakening, Lift A Sail, Sleep In The Snow, etc.
Yellowcard have been a band since 1997, which is incredible that they were still together. The band did take a small break back in 2008, during that time their violinist Sean Mackin actually moved to Seattle. His mom came out to the show and was front row for most of the show, until she went into the pit! He was welcomed with many friends surrounding him and mentioned that almost his entire neighborhood was in the bar. Mackin is an incredible violinist, and one of the most crowd friendly and energetic performs I’ve ever seen. It was magnificent to see so much love for someone that’s from your own city, it makes for a more special night.
All in all, Yellowcard did a great job at saying their goodbyes to the PNW. Every fan knew it would be their last time to mosh and crowd surf, so everyone went crazy! Anyone and everyone was getting involved, and not letting anything stop them. The guys came out for an encore were they finally performed the highly anticipated Ocean Avenue & Only One. For the fans that rocked out to those songs in 8th grade, they were filled with a very nostalgic night. Yellowcard will always hold a special place in so many of our hearts, and they will never be forgotten.
Review by: Blair Walker
Yellowcard
Like Torches
DryJacket
Acceptance
