Bayside: Interrobang Club Tour 2019
Bayside served up punk rock greatness at Anthology in Rochester, NY on November 10th, 2019 as one of their many stops on the Interrobang Club Tour. With local “battle of the bands” winners Early Retirement and the charming and intriguing Sincere Engineer, this blend of punk rock greatness made the snowy drive from Buffalo to Rochester worth it. If you’re like me you were pumped when Bayside announced their eighth album Interrobang and paired it along with a tour. So what is so special about this album and what does “interrobang” actually mean? Interrobang is a non-standard punctuation mark, usually indicating a question expressed in an exclamatory manner. Example, “Does Bayside still rock like they used to?” Why yes, yes they do. 20 years later and Bayside’s current lineup stands with Anthony Raneri, Nick Ghanbarian, Jack O’Shea and Chris Guglielmo.
One of the best parts about this tour is that Bayside wanted to offer local bands the opportunity to share their talent. Opening up a “Battle of the Bands”, Bayside was able to give unsigned bands exposure that could help make a difference in their careers. Enter Early Retirement. This band from Webster, NY clenched the Rochester spot and ultimately got the party started. Although I only caught the last couple songs of the set, this pop-punk band proved why they deserved that opening spot and drew the crowd in with some talented charm.
Female fronted Sincere Engineer was next to take the stage. Singer Deanna Belos serenaded the crowd with a voice that was both salty and sweet, ramping up the crowd with songs inspired by life experiences and frequent concert visits. The emotional pop/punk vibe of the band blended perfectly with the atmosphere, as the pit began to fill. Singing about everything from social anxiety to corndogs, this fast-paced band from Chicago was the perfect starter to this show.
Bayside wasted no time owning the stage. Frontman Anthony Raneri was all smiles as he stepped up to the microphone, belting out the first of many favorites of the night. With the music scene constantly evolving a lot of bands struggle between jumping on the bandwagon of the next big thing and staying true to their sound. Bayside has always been a huge influencer in the pop-punk scene. The crowd at Anthology proved it. The atmosphere was truly electric in the venue. “Blame it on Bad Luck” and “Devotion and Desire” brought back hardcore Warped Tour memories for fans of all ages as “Interrobang” blended flawlessly with the setlist. Their well known and relaxed acoustic material gave fans as well as the band a chance to catch their breath. With the crowd singing along to every Bayside song new and old it was easy to see how this band remained alive after 20 years. Raneri’s unique and familiar voice along with the bands fist pumping and fast paced instrumentals proves why Bayside is one of the greatest live punk rock acts Ive ever seen. Make sure to check out the Interrobang Club Tour when it rolls through your hometown!