If there’s one thing that New Jersey does right, it’s churn out some of the most iconic, influential emo bands that helped create the soundtrack of a generation. Two such bands, Senses Fail and Saves The Day, teamed up this year for their co-headlining tour, aptly named “New Jersey vs. The World.” On Friday night, they brought their impressive live show to the House of Blues in Anaheim, CA, for a lively, nostalgic set.
After a mesmerizing, shoegazey set by Texas-based four piece Narrow Head, Saves The Day took to the stage. Playing their 1999 masterpiece Through Being Cool in its entirety, they kicked off their set with the raucous “All-Star Me” followed by “You Vandal.” Even just two songs in, it was clear that the set was a form of both catharsis and celebration for the crowd. Despite the record turning 25 this year, the set proved that it’s a timeless, pop-punk staple.
Through Being Cool undoubtedly thrusted Saves The Day into a form of royalty within the scene, a position that they were deserving of at the time, and still are to this day. Their performance was engaging and lively, with frontman Chris Conley interacting with the crowd, moving across the stage, and being sure to thank the audience every few songs.
After the album playthrough, Conley announced that the set wasn’t quite over yet, before launching into “At Your Funeral,” sparking one of the liveliest mosh pits of the night. After a few additional hits such as “Anywhere With You” and “Freakish,” the band concluded their set with “Firefly,” the closing track from their 2001 album Stay What You Are. As someone who’s been a long-time listener of the band and had the pleasure of seeing them for the first time on this tour, I was blown away by not only the energy, but how the songs sound infinitely better live than on the albums. Saves The Day proved that 27 years later, they’re still going strong and are more polished than ever.
Saves The Day is a tough act to follow, but Senses Fail truly stole the show. Over the band’s 25 years, they’ve had a slew of members, experimented with their sound to cross genre lines, and, as frontman Buddy Nielson recently shared, almost ceased to exist a few years ago. Despite it all, Senses Fail have prevailed and are in top form, a testament to the group’s versatility and resilience.
Senses Fail started their set off with a bang, the iconic riff of “Tie Her Down” ringing out through the venue. Like Saves The Day, they were treating the crowd to a full album playthrough, celebrating the 20th anniversary of Let It Enfold You. The record was an introduction to the genre for many people, including myself, and hearing tracks such as “Buried A Lie” and “Irony Of Dying on Your Birthday” unlocked bittersweet waves of nostalgia. While the band is renowned for their lively performances, the band truly took this to a new level, with all members keeping the energy and engagement at a 10 throughout the entire set. The crowd reciprocated with singing every single word back, keeping a pit going for the duration of the show, and sending a steady stream of crowd surfers.
After playing through all thirteen tracks on Let It Enfold You, the band returned to the stage for an encore consisting of “Calling All Cars” and “Can’t Be Saved.” Just when the audience thought the show couldn’t end on a better note, Senses Fail brought out Saves The Day for a cover of My Chemical Romance’s “Helena.” It felt like a sort of emo fever dream, in all the best ways.
Saves The Day and Senses Fail proved that while we’re all just a bit older now, they’re still the emo titans we grew up listening to. The New Jersey vs. The World tour was a celebration of both band’s growing legacies, and we can’t wait to see what they have in store next.
GALLERY: Senses Fail and Saves The Day at House of Blues in Anaheim (December 7, 2024)
