Concert Report: A Day To Remember, The Story So Far, Four Year Strong, and Scowl at Rio Rancho Events Center

Intro:

Rio Rancho Events Center is an indoor stadium, perfect for music concerts, sports games, and other events. It can be a bit of a drive for both Burqueños and Santa Feans, but the same could be said about other venues. For example, driving to Isleta Amphitheatre (the venue formerly known as Journal Pavillion) always seems to take forever and a half, unless you happen to already live in one of those McMansions on the outskirts of town. 

Ahem. I digress. Rio Rancho Events Center has snacks, junk food, beer, cocktails, soft drinks, you name it. What’s not to like? The oval shaped arena is also ideal for audience members watching the show. There’s no such thing as a bad view, even from the cheap seats. Similarly, the general admission pit area allows fans to get up close and personal with our favorite bands. It’s very cozy and intimate, while still having ample room and freedom to dance, headbang, or even mosh. Speaking of which…

Concert Report:

Scowl was freaking phenomenal. The lead singer, Kat Moss, headbanged onstage, as she sang and growled, whipping and windmilling her green-and-blue mermaid siren hair. Her gutteral vocals were on point. The guitarists, Mikey Bifolco and Malachi Green, riffed off each other, as did the drummer Cole Gilbert and bassist Bailey Lupo.  The whole band embodied the old school punk rock attitude, but with a distinctly modern twist. The mosh pits were proportionately rowdy, keeping pace with the explosive energy of the music. Although the band was extremely badass, their stage presence was also charming and endearing, and their passion for the  music was contagious. 

Four Year Strong incited crazy circle pits, stage divers, and crowd surfers. Dazzling stage lights added to the dizzying effect of slam dancing and headbanging. I noticed that they often changed instruments between songs. Perhaps each guitar is tuned differently, depending on the tone and tune of each track? Now that’s dedication right there! Four Year Strong recently released a new EP, titled Aftermath/Afterthought, on June 18, 2024. The California based band is comprised of vocalists/guitarists Alan Day and Dan O’Connor, bassist Joe Weiss, and drummer Jake Massucco.

The Story So Far played several fan favorite bangers, including the all-time classic, Out Of It. What a barn burner! I love the gritty lyrics, especially the chorus about “The approproate opiate”. The deceptively catchy tune belies a darker meaning behind the words. Letterman is another hit single, and one of my personal favorites, from their latest full length release, I Want to Disappear. The new album just recently dropped on June 21, 2024. Like the rest of the concert goers, I enjoyed their entire setlist, both older tracks and newer ones. After a few lineup changes during the long and winding road over the years, the current band is comprised of members Parker Cannon, Kevin Geyer, Will Levy, Ryan Torf, and Ross Trave.

A Day to Remember started off with a bang… Literally! With the opening riffs, an explosion of colorful neon confetti rained down on the audience, like a ticker tape parade. The entire stadium was bursting with passionate energy. Literally hundreds of friends and strangers were singing along in unison, totally vibing together on the same synergetic wavelength. Crowd pleasing favorites included the harshly relatable Sticks and Bricks, as well as the mouthful of I’m Made of Wax Larry, What Are You Made Of?. The nostalgia factor was strong! All of us millennials, who never quite outgrew our emo phases, fondly reminisced about the good old days, while a new generation also  introduced themselves to our awesome era of music. Again, there have been a few line up changes over time, but the current band members, Dan O’Connor, Alan Day, Jackson Massucco, and Joe Weiss proudly continue to carry the torch.

Outro:

This show was a trip down memory lane. A retrospective blast from the past. By the end of the night, the whole entire concert was yet another fond memory to treasure forever. The final result made this unique concert, well… Quite literally a day to remember! Four stars outta five!