02/28/2023
Bayside
The Rave 2
Milwaukee, WI

The historic Rave hosted Bayside on their Just Like Home tour on a perfect evening. Nice and cool outside with a sizable line stretching down the street awaiting entrance into the facility. Notably, the age range of fans was vast. At this point, it was obvious they had crossed into the generational territory. With fathers with their kids camped out and everyone singing their favorite Bayside tunes in the parking lot you could say the anticipation of a fantastic heartfelt connection with the band was imminent. 

Entering the venue the room is lightly lit. Seeing as it is in the basement room, Rave 2, it makes sense. The haunted history of The Rave oozed from the pores of the building. Walking through the floor area in front of the stage you come across the merchandise area. You can tell Bayside made it as affordable as possible for their fans to purchase their favorite shirts and other items. One thing I did notice they did that a lot of other artists do not do is they were selling 3 limited edition vinyl variations of their album Sirens and Condolences.

With a lengthy setlist, the band performed at its peak for its entirety. They gave the fans everything they could’ve given. The welcoming and gracious feeling projected by Bayside kept you glued to them and feeling warm. It sent you back to your youthful days and experiencing these songs over for the first time again. Very rarely does one get the chance to dig up those sentiments again in their life. Bayside did it with ease and the ability to enjoy it themselves. Performance wise Anthony Raneri delivered a powerful vocal performance his words and lyrics struck the nerves of those in attendance. The front row filled with long-time fans sang nearly every word all night.  His guitar licks were smooth as he often leaned forward with one foot on the monitor. Next to him, energetic lead guitarist Jack O’Shea delivered tasty riffs like he was out of an 80s hair metal band. Spastic movements and flashy solos led one’s eyes to watch him perform over and over. The rhythm section consisted of bassist Nick Ghanbarian and drummer Chris Guglielmo. Both men were in perfect synergy together. Ghanbarian bounced around his half of the stage with enthusiastic vigor. His thunderous string strums rumble the hardwood floors. Only matched by Guglielmo’s base kick and snare snaps punching you in the chest.

This was a celebration of 8 albums spanning 20 years. These specific songs set a tone for everyone to enjoy. Bayside left the crowd feeling full inside. Their humble commentary in between songs felt like they were on a tour to simply deliver gratitude to a loyal fan base. It was fully reciprocated. Patrons slowly danced to songs and sang out chorus’ at full volume. The room was littered with faces smiling from ear to ear. Everything was about connection and leaving with a warm feeling inside. Bayside succeeded. They succeeded in such a massive way it left everyone hungry for more. Truly a cannot miss show.

Set List:
1. Big Cheese
2. The Walking Wounded
3. The Wrong Way
4. Sick, Sick, Sick
5. How To Ruin Everything (Patience)
6. Already Gone
7. They’re Not Horses, They’re Unicorns
8. Masterpiece
9. Strange Faces
10. Prayers
11. Numb
12. It Don’t Exist
13. Landing Feet First
14. Megan (Smoking Popes Cover)
15. Duality
16. Hate Me
17. Blame It On Bad Luck
18. Montauk
19. Don’t Call Me Peanut
20. Go To Hell
21. Devotion and Desire