Venue: The Coliseum, Hard Rock Hotel, Singapore
Date: 15th September 2012
Promoter: LAMC Productions
Review by: Nadiah H.
Special Thanks: Andre and the LAMC Productions team
Photos by Kenneth L.
Yellowcard, known for a more hardcore brand of pop-punk and its eccentric use of the violin, reformed after a brief hiatus to release When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes, the band’s first album in four years. Soon after, they bedazzled their fans with Southern Air and have been touring ever since. The band initially broke into the music scene circa ‘00s and was even comparable to New Found Glory and Sum 41. When LAMC Productions broke the news that Yellowcard was FINALLY coming down to our town, I owed it the 13-year-old fan girl in me to watch them live. Boy, was she impressed.
The highly dynamic quintet graced the rather-small stage at RWS Hard Rock Colliseum to overwhelming roars and cheers as they shredded effortlessly into “Awakening” (Southern Air, 2012). The energy in the arena intensified with ear-piercing chants and resonating claps from both old and new fans. The grounds were literally shaking and I’m not even exaggerating!
Frontman, Ryan Key, and the rest of the quintet revived those seeking a taste of older material by playing “Rough Landing, Holly” (Lights and Sounds, 2006) and “Shrink the World” (Paper Walls, 2007) saying “if you know this song, you’re a hardcore Yellowcard fan.” The crowd of 2,000 was trying to show off their fandom and screamed and jumped to every word.
Ryan Key’s idea of a circle pit was short lived during “Five Becomes Four”, but it didn’t matter anyway because the crowd still managed to rock their edges the entire time, only safely. Every good story needs a climax and Yellowcards’ was Ryan’s tribute acoustic song “Sing For Me” (When You’re Through Thinking Say Yes, 2011) for his aunt Stephanie who passed away just recently. I love when musicians get sentimental; it just brings their music out onto a whole other better level.
Anyway, remember the 13-year-old me? Yeah, that 13-year-old me went massive apeshit-crazy when the quintet played “Empty Apartment” and “Only One” (Ocean Avenue, 2003). Never in my life did I think I was going to hear those two songs being played live, but I can now finally die happy. You would think that they are great lock-your-doors-and-scream-to-it-alone-in-your-room type of songs, but try singing them with 1,999 other fans, and your soul will feel reborn.
Yellowcard of course closed with their hit “Ocean Avenue” with the crowd unreservedly joining in, but it was those moments while playing their old hits in which Yellowcard demonstrated maturity as a band at the same time, teenage rebellion.