The 10 Best Moments from The AP Tour (Boston)
On October 14, fans gathered at the House Of Blues for the very first night of this year’s AP Tour. Performers this year ran the gamut, from the acoustic swellers of This Wild Life to pop-punk vigilantes Real Friends, opened by As It Is and headlined by Mayday Parade.
Hopefully you’ll be able to catch the show near you this fall, but just in case you miss it, here are some of the quintessential moments from the Boston stop of the AP Tour. Bonus: you can catch a couple songs from every band that we captured live over on our Periscope!
10. Patty Walters’ onstage antics
England’s own As It Is opened up for the very first performance of the tour. It’s a daunting slot, but these guys were definitely up to task. The stage might as well be a trampoline under their feet; the band pulled through for a rousing show through every minute of their set. Patty has a better herky jump than some of the finest cheerleaders I’ve ever seen. (You can watch our Periscope coverage to see it in action!) Their energy didn’t go unnoticed by an already emphatic crowd, most of whom knew every word. Not bad for the first band on the bill.
9. New merch!
Mayday Parade has a slew of new merchandise available for the AP Tour. There’s plenty of t-shirt options to suit your taste, but there’s also other cool stuff up for grabs, like, a Black Lines-style beanie and A Lesson In Romantics on vinyl. Don’t worry, there’s plenty of options from other bands’ merch too!
8. Concert-goers repping AP
It is the AP Tour, after all. We put Mayday on the cover of our most recent issue, which includes features with all the bands on the tour. There were plenty of audience members with the magazine in tow, hoping to have the band members sign their copy. Here’s just a few that I spotted during Mayday’s set.
7. Dan Lambton joining Mayday Parade
When Dan Lambton and Mayday Parade are all under one roof, it’s only right that they play “One Of Them Will Destroy The Other.” Real Friends had only just gone offstage when Dan joined them to perform the heavy track, opening Mayday’s set with a huge bang. It’s one thing to hear a feature on a song, but it’s another to see the groups come together and play it live. Dan’s passionate performance doubled the intensity of the track.
6. This Wild Life’s many anecdotes
The acoustic duo of This Wild Life had the job of making the huge, beautiful venue feel intimate, all while sandwiched in a lineup of loud bands, but the segue felt perfectly organic. Kevin made the show personal with anecdotes about each song, like how “Puppy Love” is about his dog Humphrey and “Better With You” is dedicated to an ex-girlfriend of a nine-year relationship. The audience was rapt listening to “No More Bad Days” after an explanation of how the song is about Kevin’s mother’s struggle with cancer.
5. Jack, The Moody Merch Bear
As It Is guitarist Andy Westhead introduced me to Jack, the Moody Merch Bear, when I stopped by the merch table. The story is a cute one: Usually, the band travel with their merch guy, Jack, who didn’t join them on this tour. The bear was a gift from a few fans during Warped Tour, and As It Is chose to dedicate it to him. Look out for Jack at your tour date!
4. Mayday’s brand new setlist
Mayday Parade pulled out all the stops on the setlist for their headlining slot. Don’t worry, all the staples are still there – “Jamie All Over” and “Oh Well, Oh Well” never disappoint. If you were watching our Snapchat coverage, you saw that they brought back “Terrible Things” and played “Letting Go” from Black Lines for the very first time. We won’t give too much away, but you can expect to hear standout tracks from every era as well as deep cuts from A Lesson In Romantics and Anywhere But Here that haven’t been played in years.
3. Real Friends’ stage set
An ideal backdrop for a perfect night. It really was a great day.
https://instagram.com/p/81Rq7AJ37n/?taken-by=dickchuck77
2. Dan Lambton’s motivational messages
If Dan Lambton is “trying to be more positive” as his Twitter bio states, he’s certainly doing well. Between songs during Real Friends’ set, Dan had many supportive words to offer the crowd. He shared sentiments about the beauty of people coming together through music, as well as acknowledging that the holidays can be a difficult time for many. The band has partnered with Hope For The Day, a suicide prevention organization based in Chicago, which you can learn more about here.
1. “Miserable At Best”
When Derek Sanders brings out the piano, there is not a dry eye in the house, folks. Eight years later, Mayday fans still know every word, and they proved it at the House Of Blues. For the entire last chorus – over a minute of the song – the audience sang every word over the piano. Derek couldn’t help but clap when the song was over. Chills.
We know what you’re thinking – “I need to see this show.” Lucky for you, tickets are still available, and the tour’s only just begun. Check out altpress.com/aptour for dates and tickets.
