In what is probably the tour of the summer, A Day to Remember stormed through Chicago making their long-awaited return to the Windy City to promote their latest record, The Least Anticipated Album, thus appropriately naming this tour The Least Anticipated Tour, which, in reality, is anything but true.

Hitting over 30 cities across the U.S., this is probably one of ADTR’s biggest tours post-COVID and one you can’t or shouldn’t have missed. Only fueling the flames of this scorcher of a tour are TSSF, coming off the back of their newest record, Four Year Strong, pop-punk OGs, and a rotating roster of Pain of Truth, Militarie Gun, and Scowl.

Scowl kicked off the night with a high-energy, explosive set that perfectly matched the night’s vibe. As one of the new faces taking over, Scowl continue to get bigger and bigger bringing their A-game to their biggest tour yet opening up for ADTR. Filled with riffs and ‘90s alt-rock hooks, it’s no surprise Scowl are on the path to stardom.

Pop-punk/easycore mainstays Four Year Strong, came out swinging with a fun and fast-moving setlist of fan favorites and newer jams that kept the crowd warm while bringing up the octane more. Off the back of their sixth studio record, Four Year Strong pretty much trademarked their iconic, specific pop-punk energy, sound, riffage, and hardcore spirit. Now melding hardcore rhythms with ‘90s alt-rock melodies while maneuvering between heavy breakdowns and electronic moments, Four Year Strong continue to switch things up musically while keeping to their core sound.

FYS have an intensity about them that is almost thunderous, yet also catchy and bouncy manufacturing an almost “happy or joyous chaos” that’s both infectious and fun. It’s rare you find a band curating this form of vigorous energy as it’s either one or the other, but it’s exactly this type of show and sound that FYS has branded as uniquely their own since their iconic 2007 debut record, Rise or Die Trying. Every time I catch Four Year Strong it’s always a great time as they execute tightly knit riffs with raspy punk voices over distorted guitars and a wicked fast tempo perfect for pairing right alongside A Day to Remember.

For over a decade, The Story So Far have been mainstays in modern pop-punk leaving an incredible footprint and blueprint behind for how pop-punk should sound and, even at one point, how pop-punk shows could look energy-wise. While they are more low key than many other acts of similar size, such as Neck Deep, Real Friends, or Boston Manor, every time TSSF drops any sort of news, tours, or music, it’s guaranteed to be a big deal. So, when it was announced they would be dropping a new record AND heading out on the road with A Day to Remember, it was definitely the news TSSF fans needed.

Having just released I Want to Disappear, it’s apparent a lot has changed over the last six years since their last record, but with a seemingly snap of their fingers, TSSF jumped right back into the action like nothing ever paused for them. Natural born performers, TSSF know how to put on a show with powerful vocals at the center and crunchy guitars and articulated, precise drumming supporting it. While I do wish TSSF would put a bit more effort into their live performances (even a simple jogging back and forth would suffice), there’s no denying the talent and musicianship are there and being placed at the forefront.

The excitement and energy in the air was almost borderline indescribable … and that’s just from me alone. The last time I saw A Day To Remember was when they played a surprise set at the Chicago date of Warped Tour in 2014, so seeing them again was extremely overdue. Catching ADTR has always been tricky as they love to play Peoria Civic Center (on the other side of the state) or just outright skip Chicago, or it never worked out when they did play the city. So, to be here finally seeing them again while on their biggest tour they’ve done in years was destiny I like to think.

Like a nuclear warhead exploding, A Day To Remember came out with a bang and then some as they kicked off their set with a trifecta rock-block consisting of “Stick & Bricks,” “All I Want,” and “2nd Sucks” moving straight into “I’m Made of Wax, Larry, What are You Made of?,” “Right Back at It Again,” and “Paranoia.” Usually, most bands tap out at the first initial rock block hitting a quarter or even half of their most popular songs already, but this is just scrapping the tip of the iceberg for ADTR, demonstrating just how DEEP of a catalog they have and how rare it was that they perfected their sound by their second record, For Those Who Have Heart.

The best comparison to make is as if ADTR completed all the side quests before even starting the main story, allowing them to absolutely steam roll right through it. Most bands would be lucky to have a decent follow-up to a record like FTWHH. Yet, ADTR managed to improve upon their formula and sound with Homesick, What Separates Me From You, and then Common Courtesy forever cementing themselves as goats within the easycore/pop punk/alternative music community.

ADTR’s entire set felt like a time machine back to high school for me as they chugged through an awesome set list of fan favorites and biggest tracks all with pyro blazing behind them, and nonstop pits down front. Putting on one of the best sets I’ve seen in a while, ADTR are masters at their craft who don’t hold pull any punches as every breakdown, chorus, and melody hits like a ton of bricks while the entire stadium sings along with every word. There wasn’t an era of the band that wasn’t covered throughout the night (other than the first record which they don’t play songs from anymore), but the real surprise of the night was them performing their cover of Kelly Clarkson’s “Since You Been Gone” for the first time ever.

This is the Hot Topic/Warped Tour musical equivalent to if The Devil Wears Prada played their cover of “Still Fly,” so seeing the nearly sold-out Northerly Island all karaoke it alongside them was an awesome experience. While I do think they could have subbed out two maybe three tracks in for some old songs they haven’t played in a while, when you have a deep discography like ADTR you’ll never be able to play every favorite when nearly every song is an absolute banger. Few bands are the quintessential representatives of an entire era of music or sub-culture, and even fewer that were are actually still around. A Day to Remember are here to stay and remind everyone why they’re at the top, demonstrating exactly what separates them from everyone else.

A Day To Remember

The Story So Far

Four Year Strong

Scowl