Taking Back Sunday, Dashboard Bring a Taste of Chaos to Philadelphia

Words by Lucas P. Jones, Photos by Alfred Mannarino

Pop-Break Live: Taste of Chaos 2016 – Taking Back Sunday, Dashboard Confessional, Saosin and The Starting Line at Festival Pier in Philadelphia.

The Taste of Chaos tour rolled into Festival Pier in Philadelphia, PA on June 19th. The annual tour brought with it a high energy line-up that was sure to evoke equal parts excitement and nostalgia. After being offered a chance to go, I was stoked to see bands that I haven’t listened to in a while, plus the chance to experience some new music.

First off, I have to give credit to both the bands and the festival organizers. There was a band schedule online, and they stuck to it. Too often we see festivals get slogged down in delays, and the result is a show that loses its energy and goes way over time. In this instance, the short time in between sets allowed for the crowd energy to remain high for the next act. The Early November kicked things off, bringing their modern sound and new energy to the stage. Formed in 1999, the band broke up and subsequently reformed in 2011, and their new songs sounded great alongside old classics.

Next up was The Starting Line, who opened their set with “Up & Go” and “Surprise, Surprise,” and both tracks had the ample crowd singing along and…moving around in some fashion. Perhaps we can call it dance moshing? In any case, the attendees were clearly enjoying themselves, and the band was feeding that energy into a great live performance. After a quick set change, Saosin hit the stage, and put on what was easily my favorite performance of the evening. Combining groovy riffs, aggressive drums, and a great mix of screams and clean vocals, they were a great choice to be added to the lineup. Starting with “Racing Toward a Red Light” and ending with “Seven Years,” their set was up tempo and fit perfectly into the line-up.

Taking Back Sunday is a band that my 13 year old self was pretty into. But unlike most things I liked when I was 13, I’m still a fan of Taking Back Sunday, and judging by the crowd reaction to “Cute Without the E” and “Stood a Chance,” the concert goers were into it as well. The band even acknowledged their place in the lives of the 20 to 30 somethings in attendance, and that their music spoke to something that continues to bring people to the show. Dashboard Confessional closed out the evening with a stellar performance of their own. We thought the festival was crowded before, but it reached a new level for Dashboard who entranced the crowd with “Vindicated,” “As Lovers Go,” and “Don’t Wait.” They even put on an mid set acoustic performance of “The Swiss Army Romance,” “The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most”, and “Remember to Breathe.”

The Taste of Chaos tour is an awesome experience if you are a fan of one, two, or all of these acts. These bands and their music appeal to a wide variety of music lovers, even an 80’s shred-head like myself. Catch the Taste of Chaos tour through mid-July!

The Starting Line

Setlist:

Up & Go
Surprise, Surprise
Almost There, Going Nowhere
Making Love to the Camera
Are You Alone
Anyways
Leaving
The Best of Me

Saosin

Setlist:

Racing Toward a Red Light
Translating The Name
The Silver String
3rd Measurement in C
I Can Tell There Was An Accident Here Earlier
Illusion & Control
Control and the Urge to Pray
Seven Years

Taking Back Sunday

Setlist:

Cute Without the ‘E’ (Cut from the Team)
Liar (It Takes One to Know One)
Flicker, Fade
What’s It Feel Like to Be a Ghost?
A Decade Under the Influence
Stood a Chance
You’re So Last Summer
Holy Water
Timberwolves at New Jersey
Better Homes and Gardens
Error: Operator
Tidal Wave
MakeDamnSure