On April 22nd, I had the pleasure of going to the On Your Side Tour featuring A Rocket To The Moon, Runner Runner, Go Radio, and Anarbor. The School of Rock was completely packed, and gave off a totally different vibe than what was expected due to the long line of warehouses outside. Luckily, I landed a spot close to the front, and I was extremely eager for the show to get started.
First up was Go Radio, who definitely started the show off right. There was a larger fan base there for Go Radio than at previous shows I have been too, which made their whole set that much more exciting. They started their set with “You Hold Your Breathe, I’ll Hold My Liquor”. As their energy level grew, so did that of the entire crowd. By the time they played “Goodnight Moon” a few minutes later, a full on sing-along ensued. By this point I realized that I had the pleasure of being in a really fun crowd for an overall really great show.
Next on the line-up was Runner Runner. They entered one by one onto the stage and were greeted by an uproar of screams. They opened with “So Obvious”, which was obviously a crowd pleaser. I had seen Runner Runner on this tour previously, and I honestly believe they were even better than the first time. Everyone had really stepped up their game, possibly because it was the second to last day of the tour. By the second song, “Heart Attack”, the crowd completely let loose and it was obvious that everyone was enjoying themselves. In the middle of the set, everyone in the band, excluding Ryan, exited the stage. Ryan played “I Can’t Wait”, a song dedicated to his wife, which touched the hearts of numerous teenage girls in the crowd. It was a nice contrast to the otherwise very energetic set. By the end, everyone was hyped and ready for the next two bands.
When it was time for Anarbor to play, I knew that everyone was going to flip out. I had only seen Anarbor once in the past, and I left that show with a nice big bruise under my left eye. My expectations were quickly exceeded. Anarbor played about 6 or 7 songs, including their first single, “Gypsy Woman” and the popular “You and I”. A girl next to me crowd surfed about 10 times during the set, quite possibly a record, and definitely the most I had ever seen. My friends and I got pushed so hard that we ended up right in front of the stage. Bonus! The crowd that had already been screaming during Runner Runner got even louder, and by the time the band left the stage, my ears wouldn’t stop ringing. I would say that’s usually an indicator of a great, or at least extremely, loud set. In this case, the set was pretty damn awesome.
It was finally time for the headliner, A Rocket To The Moon. They opened with the title track of their album, and the tour, “On Your Side”. I have never in my life heard a crowd sing so loud. I couldn’t hear anything besides a medley of voices, but it was pretty wonderful. They played at least 15 songs, including some old favorites, such as “Not A Second To Waste” and even did a cover of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers’ “American Girl”. Since Tom Petty is one of my favorite musicians ever, I thoroughly enjoyed the cover. The volume of the crowd was maintained throughout the set, impressing both the band themselves and me. I have to admit, I couldn’t wipe a stupid grin off of my face for the entire time they were playing. I was really impressed with the level of their performance. A Rocket To The Moon ended with their first huge hit “Mr. Right”, educing the loudest sing-along of all.
After the show, I quickly chatted with Nick of Runner Runner and asked him how he felt about the tour coming to an end. “The tour has been amazing. I’m sad it’s coming to an end and I love all the bands.” He expressed that he had a really great time and that the tour had been a really positive experience. Overall, the complete line-up for the tour (including Valencia who was featured on other dates of the tour) was really great and flowed very well. I would recommend seeing every band featured on the tour if you can. I can promise you that it will be a great experience and you’ll come home smiling.
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