It's only been about seven months since the last time Bayside had graced the Kansas City area with a show. Normally, that wouldn't be enough time to really build up any enthusiasm, however with this tour they were using the momentum that had been rising from the release of their newest album Shudder.

With their first headlining tour in a while Bayside decided to choose their lineup carefully, as a bad lineup can sometimes mean a bad show. But with a press army behind them consisting of Victory and Reybee, the tour was sure to be a success. The beautiful punk harmonies of Valencia and the insanity of The Matches paired nicely on stage. But what also helped to fuel the show was a brand new band called The Status. "Melodramatic Popular Song" is one of the most entertaining MySpace classifications I've seen. Almost as entertaining as their set. What kind of a genre that really is, I'm not quite sure, but what I am sure of is The Status' potential. Between the energy and the infectiousness of their sounds, they have the qualities to allow them to push ahead of the competition. Perhaps the music is a bit melodramatic, however it's in a good way, as it allows for more depth and emotion. Now, don't get that mixed up with the ever so popular "emo" genre. These guys are anything but weepy and sad, quite the opposite in fact.

Naturally you'd expect the headliner to be a band with more experience and years behind them and with this tour you'd be right. Bayside has made a name for themself over the past 8 years. With Shudder being their 4th studio album, you could say that they had nothing really to prove, but at the same time they had everything to prove. The diehard fans won't go anywhere no matter if there's a new album or not, however new material is just what's needed to bring in a new audience. I'd say that Shudder is the perfect medium. For me, this album and show were more memorable. There's something about the lyrics and the melodies that managed to make their way into the deep crevices of my brain. Sure, it's the same band that I saw in March, but this time it felt different for some reason... this time it really sucked me in. Bayside is a band that can't be experienced just one way. First you have to get the new album, give it a once over or maybe a twice over, then make your way to one of their tour stops. Certain levels of their music are to be experienced in certain ways. The catchy lyrics are memorized at home and then belted out while dancing to the almost alternative harmonies. The precision guitar solos are embedded inside, that way the moshing is perfectly timed. Shudder combines all of this effortlessly. And Bayside is the kind of band to keep the momentum going for years to come.

Minus the early door time, I'd say the night was magnificent. However, this all will have a drawback, as I will come to expect nothing less in future shows. The album and the tour are flawless.

-Rachel Fredrickson

Bayside
w/ The Status, The Matches, Valencia
October 11th, 2008
The Granada Theater
Lawrence, KS

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