Venue: The Coliseum, Hard Rock Hotel, Singapore
Date: 10th December 2014
Promoter: Anthology
Review by: Maisha G.
Special Thanks: Dex, Chris, and the Anthology team
Being a 90’s kid and having music being a huge part of our lives, as we grew up we are being exposed to the various different genres of music and it almost usually follows the trend of the year, like the Top 40’s music or even the constantly played music videos on MTV. I grew up listening to hard rock at such a young age and when I was in my teens, I was wondering what people my age were listening too. I had a lot of Guns and Roses in my iPod and Nirvana, Incubus was pretty rad at that point of time and I was glorifying Eddie Vedder and pictured him as my dad. I was that much involved in music but never really got in touch with the then scene like Fall Out Boy, Good Charlotte and the like.
I was playing Burnout on my PSP one day and there usually is background music being played during the race. There was this particular song that got me hooked, and I was at the top of my game with all the racing tricks and I checked through the playlist and played the music one by one until I found the title. It was “Lights and Sounds” by Yellowcard. Only then, I was interested to know more about the band and listen to their songs and also delve into the genre. And I told myself, it’s weird how I stumble upon new music in various different ways.
Learning the news about Yellowcard hailing our shores once again, I was quite confused as to whether I should go because I’ve lost touch with the genre as I sort of grew out of it. But I told myself that I might need this to get myself back again, perhaps reliving the days of the past for just one night and get reminded how fun it was to be a teen with problems that didn’t seem like the weight of the world.
That night, on my way to the gig, I learned more than I could or rather caught up on the band that I’ve missed out on these couple of years. In particular, the news about the vocalist Ryan Key’s wife condition after a skiing accident and the departure of one of the original members of the band, Longineu. It hit me how even though Key may not be at his best due to his wife’s condition but his dedication towards music got him through it all and he braved it just to put on the best show for the fans all over the world.
I learned about their new album Lift A Sail and tried my hands at checking it out. It seems like they still have it and I was thrilled to watch the songs being performed live on stage. The crowd grew exponentially and I positioned myself in the middle of the crowd, just right to see the stage comfortably.
Ryan greeted the crowd and started the night with the songs from the new album. I was still getting into the hang of their latest record, until I hear the ever so familiar “hello you, how was the rest?” The very familiar all too catchy tune that got me checking out the band in the first place. “Lights and Sounds” moved the crowd as they rocked to their anthems of yesteryears; for me, it was my victory racing song. And then the ever popular number had the crowd literally grow mental with all the body surfing and the moshing and in the midst of it all, you can see the arms punching in the air as you hear one voice singing “you are my only, my only one”. It was the song that brought people together, brothers in arms and singing their hearts out to when they first started listening and rocking out to this band.
Ryan sat down in front of his keyboard and mellowed the crowd down with the song ‘”California”, specially written for his wife and the lyrics that hit me hard was the very first line to the song; “tell me secrets, cause I know you’re scared.” It spoke volumes to how someone who’s been wanting to scream and shout out his or her feelings but were being suppressed given the situations around them. It touched many as the crowd swayed to the rhythm, raising their phones and lighters in the air. It was an ode to many great things and great new beginnings. Ryan was very positive and the hopefulness in his voice as he sang the song was felt in both our minds and souls. It was a genuine, and that vibrated in his voice as the crowd connected to the stage at a different level. It was amazing.
Of course, the night would not be complete without their massive hit “Ocean Avenue” ringing through the speakers of the stage. The crowd grew louder and rowdier, all in the name of fun and reliving the memories of yesteryears. Everyone had great fun and rocked their hearts out to the band they grew up with. The band that got them through many obstacles in life with their proclaimed anthems to go along.
Thank you Anthology for bringing many cheers and happiness to old teens like many of us who attended the gig. It was nothing less than magical.