by Stefny! At the Disco
On Sunday, August 24, I finally got to see a band I’ve been wanting to see since the 7th grade. That’s right everyone, I finally saw the kings of cover songs themselves, New Found Glory.
Oh, and Jimmy Eat World and The Offspring were there too.
Jokes aside, NFG was everything I’d hoped for. While I wish they could’ve played a full set, they stacked the setlist with mostly hits and all bangers.
Unfortunately, guitarist Chad Gilbert couldn’t be there as he is currently undergoing cancer treatments (get well soon, Chad!!) but the guys put on an amazing show and 12-year-old me was LIVING.
Next up was Jimmy Eat World. I’ve seen them 4 or 5 times now and each time I am blown away by just how great they are live.
I first saw them years after their debut in 2013 (on my birthday, btw) but even in the last 12 years it’s like they haven’t aged a day, let alone from the 90s.
Of course, as they were the support, they had a relatively short setlist of 12 songs and didn’t hit my #1 tune, but they still played tracks from 1999’s Clarity to 2022’s single “Something Loud.”
Then came the headliners, The Offspring.
This is a band that I have loved since I was like… 5 years old. Maybe earlier, I don’t know. But I have vivid memories of going to cheer camp at the high school the summer before kindergarten and hearing “Come Out and Play” and thinking that those high schoolers were so grown (they weren’t) and that high school would be so cool (it wasn’t).
It was almost exactly 2 years since the last (and first) time I saw them, and the show was just as insane. The time between JEW leaving the stage and The Offspring coming out was once again filled with fun, festivities, and mayhem.
Both the pre-show and on-screen visuals during the set were fun and on-brand, featuring artwork and/or lyrics. Dexter and Noodles continue to be probably the best at crowdwork I’ve ever seen.
I’m not sure there’s any other band out there that can make me appreciate a late August visit to Germania quite like The Offspring, but I can say with certainty that I will make an appointment to be at their next show there anyway.
P.S. This was my first time getting to shoot these bands and even though I had to shoot from Narnia, it was such a fun and rewarding experience. Thank you, Live Nation!!