Taking Back Sunday & Citizen @ The Fillmore, Charlotte, NC 8-8-24

Alternative rock and emo favorites Taking Back Sunday have been rocking the world since their early days in 1999. Last year the band released their 8th studio album (and first in seven years) called ‘152.’ It finally gave fans the new music they had been craving for so long. TBS is currently out on tour playing to sold-out crowds across the U.S. in support of the new record and recently made a stop here in Charlotte at The Fillmore.

The day of the show the Charlotte area was being pounded by rain and wind from Tropical Storm Debby, but fortunately as the evening hours approached, conditions improved and the show was able to go on.

Our evening started with emo rockers Citizen who got everyone rocking early with a short, but solid set. Led by lead vocalist Mat Kerekes, the band had the audience involved in the show right from the start calling for a push pit and getting the capacity crowd hyped up. Guitarist Nick Hamm was on fire as Kerekes jumped and spun around the stage. It was a fun set and a great way to get things going.

Of course, the main event was still to come. Since Taking Back Sunday frontman Adam Lazzara is from “just down the road,” the Charlotte show was sold-out and full of Adam’s friends, family, and long-time fans of the band.

The lights dimmed and the band made their way onto the stage, fists in the air to salute the crowd as fans roared and cheered. Lazzara was last to come out and faced the audience bathed in red light before making his way to a riser at the rear of the stage. The band kicked off with “S’Old” from the latest record as a huge 152 logo was lit up behind them.

For the first song, I could barely see Adam as he was a silhouette in the clouds of fog covering the stage. The band sounded amazing as Lazzara whipped his microphone around in a feat of acrobatics. The crowd loved it as surfers began coming over the barricade in earnest.

There were also some quiet moments of the show as Adam picked up an acoustic guitar for a poignant performance of “Amphetamine Smiles” and later in the set the gorgeous tune “Your Own Disaster.”

As the lights changed from red to blue to green and back again to almost complete darkness, Taking Back Sunday rocked The Fillmore spectacularly closing out the night with “MadeDamnSure” as the audience sang along with Lazzara in a true throwback moment.

It’s been over 20 years since Taking Back Sunday unleashed their first studio album into the universe and we’ve been telling all our friends ever since.