Alternative rockers Bayside and Say Anything captivate their loyal fans at a sold-out show in Pontiac with support from Reggie and the Full Effect.

Reggie and the Full Effect from Long Island, NY kick off the evening with a short, but energy-packed set that gets the crowd warmed up for the co-headliners.  Vocalist/keyboardist James Dewees greets the crowd and introduces the first song “Happy V-Day”.   The crowd reacts with cheers and sings along to the song; a scene that repeats itself throughout the set on tracks including “Take Me Home, Please” and “Get Well Soon”.

Their performance is full of hook-laden songs that keep the fans moving.  Guitarist Lance Claypool looks like he would be at home in a metal band as he shreds the guitar and strikes classic poses.  Not to be outdone, bassist Jeramiah Pauley and guitarist Vince Caito never stop jumping and moving about the stage.  And Michael Hansen pounds his drums with authority while thrashing his head around.  Outside of Reggie and the Full Effect these four musicians also comprise the band Pentimento.

They are a fun band to watch and their catchy songs draw the audience into the action.  A haze of smoke covers most of the stage and makes for some cool visuals with the multi-colored lights.  It’s a great opening set that fires up the audience for the bands yet to come.

Bayside from New York take the stage to thunderous applause.  Well, two members of the band take the stage.  Anthony Raneri announces that due to a death in the family of drummer Chris Guglielmo, tonight’s set is going to be acoustic with just himself and Jack O’Shea.  Judging by the reaction, the fans don’t seem to mind one bit.

The acoustic treatment suits the songs very well and with a somewhat intimate setting brings everyone together like one big happy family.  From the opening verse of “They Looked Like Strong Hands” through to the closing verse of “Devotion and Desire”, the audience sings along out loud to every word.  It is quite a special scene to behold.

Anthony and Jack certainly seem to be enjoying this acoustic set as much or more than the fans.  They play off each other and engage with the audience throughout the set.  Jack even jokingly takes a break, laying down at the back of the stage.  The fans love it.  Maybe this is something they should look to do for a whole tour or at least incorporate into a portion of each show.

They run through a 13-song set that pulls from most of their albums including their 2016 release Vacancy. 

Say Anything from Los Angeles, CA finally hits the stage about 10:30 pm and the fans are more than ready as they erupt with cheers.  They kick off their set with “Do Better” and follow that with “Shiksa (Girlfriend)”.   Lead singer Max Bemis is constantly on the move as he paces about the stage from side to side, front to back, and comes right to the edge of the stage on a regular basis to pump the crowd up.

Max wastes no time getting up close and personal with his fans, jumping into the photo pit and greeting fans in the first couple of rows during the song “Belt”.  The fans up front are thrilled, reaching out to touch him and capture photos with their cell phones.

They energize the crowd with songs from most of their albums including “Slowly, Through a Vector”, “Hate Everyone”, “Peace Out”, “Night’s Song”, “Nibble Nibble”, “Give a Damn”, and “Presidential Suite”.  The audience sings along, claps, cheers, bounces, and some fans even engage in a little moshing.

The band is tight and energetic with Kenny Bridges on guitar, multi-instrumentalist Parker Case playing both guitar and keyboards, and bassist Garron DuPree and drummer Reed Murray providing the solid bottom-end.  Garron is quite a sight to see.  He spends the whole show bouncing, jumping, and thrashing his hair around.

They close out the main portion of the set with “Alive with the Glory of Love”.  At this point, some fans start crowd surfing to the front.   It doesn’t take long before several others follow their lead.  The crowd is now in a full-on frenzy.

The band returns to the stage and Max says they will play another song if the fans promise to sing at least half of it.  He hands the microphone to the fans in the front and the audience proceeds to belt out the words to the song “Every Man Has a Molly”.  Just like with the acoustic set by Bayside, it is quite a spectacle to experience.

The band starts leaving the stage and just when you think it is over, guitarist Kenny Bridges climbs into the crowd and starts crowd surfing while playing his guitar.  Eventually, the crowd holds him up in a standing position.  He hands his guitar over to a girl in the crowd, who proceeds to give it her best shot.  Wild stuff to say the least.

It is quite the ending to an awesome set by Say Anything and a great evening of music by all the bands.  If you get the opportunity, catch all of them on this tour that runs through May 27.  You won’t be disappointed.

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Bayside
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Reggie and the Full Effect
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