Last Friday, August 29th, Tokio Marine Hall hosted a special night of shows as a warm-up for the I Wanna Be Tour . The venue, known for creating an atmosphere of closeness between artists and audience in a reasonably sized concert hall, was the stage for a series of performances that showed how much pop punk and emo remain alive and vibrant here, but above all – the importance of standalone shows as a more accessible complement to music festivals in the country.
The opening act was Neck Deep, who transformed the audience—small, purely due to the time slot, but extremely enthusiastic—into a veritable energy field from the very first chords. There was a mosh pit right from the first song, lots of crowdsurfing , and even a memorable moment, already known from the band's shows, during "She's a God " when a rare and symbolic all-female mosh pit formed in a predominantly male space. Vocalist Ben Barlow interacted extensively with the crowd in a show full of speeches and explanations for the setlist, reinforcing the feeling of intimacy with the fans. "In Bloom" closed the band's show on Friday with a sense of completeness and anticipation for the band's official performance the following day at noon at Allianz Parque.
Next, Story of the Year showed why they are one of the most underrated bands on the lineup, even though they came to Brazil 12 years ago. With a dense sound and a heavier feel, they brought an essential contrast to the night, proving that they still have the energy and stage presence. It was the "heavy" breath of fresh air that elevated the atmosphere before the catharsis that would follow. "Tear me to Pieces," "war," and "Until the day I die" were highlights of Friday's show.
And then came Yellowcard , the most anticipated act of the night and the real reason the date exists on the calendar. With their unmistakable combination of violin and guitars — three guitars, it should be noted, something hard to compete with — the band had the audience packed the Tokio Marine Hall and singing along from the very first hits. When “ Only One” appeared in the setlist, emotion took over and solidified the show as one of the highlights of the I Wanna Be Tour, both in the side show and at the festival itself. With almost monumental gestures and intros that only drove the fans (even more) crazy, “Breathing”, “Believe” and “Keeper” were some of the highlights of the show, which featured 14 songs in the setlist and 3 more in the encore, with “With You Around”, “Ocean Avenue” and “Better Days”.
Between mosh pits, nostalgic choruses, and moments of pure connection, Friday was a beautiful warm-up for the big event on Saturday, August 30th, when the I Wanna Be Tour finally concluded its second official edition in Brazil.
Check out the photos by Marcela Lorenzetti :
