What would you give to have one of the best emo bands of all time in your backyard? Taking Back Sunday did just that last night in their native Long Island, NY, and it was as insane as you’d expect. Adam Lazzara and his bandmates belted out the best alternative rock hits from the past two decades, making the best of bad weather for a one-of-a-kind event.
How did one of the strangest, but most surreal, weekends of Taking Back Sunday’s career occur, exactly? It all started with the Four Chord Music Festival on August 13th. While a thunderstorm prevented them from giving the headbanging, post-hardcore show you’re used to, they still managed to put on an intimate acoustic performance that had the audience in a chokehold. They cried, laughed, and cried some more as Taking Back Sunday delivered six of their greatest songs, and it was just the beginning of the day’s festivities.
Later that night, Taking Back Sunday set up their equipment in the Smith brothers backyard, not far from their own childhood homes in Long Island. Have you ever seen a hometown show quite like this? According to fan-taken video, the band’s setlist included iconic emo tracks like “MakeDamnSure,” and “You’re So Last Summer,” while we can also guess that “Cute Without The ‘E,’” “A Decade Under The Influence,” and “Liar” all made the cut. We’ll just have to wait for more homemade videos from the hometown emo show of 2023! (Check for setlist updates here)
"Just saw Taking Back Sunday in a backyard. Only on Long Island can the stuff of dreams happen, you just had to be there,” Sal wrote on X. Another fan named Kate followed up with “If i’m just bad news, then you’re a liar. taking back sunday and friends in the backyard. absolutely unreal.” The video depicts the crowd moshing, singing along, and crowd-surfing like they were in a 20,000-seat arena instead of a backyard, and we love that for them!
Taking Back Sunday’s emo-centric tunes have resonated with audiences for over two decades now, and they’ve never been more in their element than in a Long Island backyard. While most of us weren’t lucky enough to catch this backyard Taking Back Sunday concert, you can still watch the fan videos! Check it out and start singing along to these sensational tracks.
