It’s not often that you get to see a band more than once in a year, but much less twice. After seeing this band open for A Day to Remember back in July, that’s exactly what I got to do with Four Year Strong when they stopped by the Paper Tiger with one of the most stacked bills I’ve seen all year.
After the ADTR show, I was so impressed by them that I started going through bits of their discography, most notably their most recent album, “Analysis Paralysis.” Maybe I should have caught on to their older stuff first, but something about the sound of this album hooked me instantly. The song, “daddy of mine,” was one I could not get out of my head with its raw heaviness.
Seeing them embark on the Analysis Paralysis Tour was very exciting, especially with the killer bands they were bringing along. I didn’t make it in time to catch Death Lens but man, am I glad I got to check out One Step Closer and Free Throw.
This was One Step Closer’s first time in San Antonio and I definitely hope it won’t be their last. Ryan Savitski’s melodic vocals and hardcore energy on the mic were perfect to start the night.
Free Throw, on the other hand, was the more experienced band, having come here a few times already. But looking at lead vocalist Cory Castro, you would’ve thought it was also their first time here with the amount of joy he expressed between every single song. The energy the band brought was electrifying and so was the energy right back from the crowd, with so many fans knowing the lyrics to the whole band’s setlist.
Paper Tiger’s main stage was fully packed and Four Year Strong came right out with a bigger punch than anything we saw Jake Paul or Mike Tyson throw with the explosive “aftermath/afterthought.” I was quickly shoved out of the way for pits opening up and surrounded by all the fans jumping to the song’s insane guitar riffs.
The band consists of vocalists and guitarists Dan O’Connor and Alan Day, bassist Joe Weiss, and Jake Massucco on the drums. They sounded as tight as you would expect from a group that’s been together this long with O’Connor and Day especially having a great balance in their vocal performances. They’re both great at the passionate aggression needed but each had their unique flair to the performance.
Being most well-known for their pop-punk style and being a key figure of the whole Warped Tour Era, fans definitely seemed most familiar with those parts of their discography. But especially with songs from this new album, the band’s heavier approach with aggressive guitar riffs and breakdowns shook the entire St. Mary’s Strip.
The ones on songs like “Uncooked,” where everyone’s screaming “I wanna see you dance,” was insanity. The crowd surfers and the hardcore dancers in the circle pits were going wild, especially during “daddy of mine.” It was so worth it to hear this song live and to see that circle pit spinning out of control in all the best ways. O’Connor and Day traded screaming vocals, with O’Connor’s lines of “What’s the point of holding your breath if you never get it off your chest” and “Why can’t the beginning ever feel like the end” just being unbelievable moments.
Their pop-punk energy was also expectedly great on songs like “Get Out of My Head,” “Bada Bing! Wit’ a Pipe!,” and “Seventeen,” which has such a catchy chorus.
The fans may have gone their absolute craziest during the band’s final song, “Wasting Time (Eternal Summer).” The whole crowd erupted, as they shouted every word, jumped in unison, crowd surfed; it was as if the whole show had been a buildup to this climatic explosion and it was the perfect way to end the show.
Being at this show, it felt awesome for me to be back in this era of live music that I never got to experience firsthand. Friends of mine who got to experience the White Rabbit always reminisce about their nostalgia for these intimate punk shows with the most passionate fanbases, and this was really the best glimpse that I’ve gotten so far.
It’s so cool to see Four Year Strong still going strong, and going harder and heavier than ever before in the year 2024.
