Four Year Strong headlined their annual hometown holiday show at Worcester Palladium. They had support from friends in Microwave, Free Throw, and Prince Daddy & The Hyena.
Prince Daddy & The Hyena kicked off the show to an excited crowd. The band has a little bit of a more laid back and relaxed sound than the other bands on the bill but it was still enough of a kick to get the crowd moving and interacting. The band was hitting every note and word just like they should but with an energy and stage presence that looked effortless.
Next up was Free Throw. The band hit the stage with a burst of energy and sound to match. Each and every band member had their own stage presence that caught your eye and made you watch, making the most of their time on stage with catching the crowd’s attention for a fun set, moving their way around the stage and getting the fans moving out in the crowd. Christmas sweaters and lyrics both about beer, a lighthearted and fun set should be expected. The band’s sound is on the lighter sound of indie rock/emo but in the live setting it brought things up from the previous band with intensity, getting the crowd to dance and crowd-surf.
Judging by the crowd’s reaction, Microwave had lots of fans in the crowd. The band got cheers from the moment they hit the stage and were setting up, excited fans getting worked up before they even started playing. The band’s sound is a happy mixture of rock with sad lyrics that make you want to scream along and the catchy tunes that make you want to bop your head along. Their well constructed by effortless sounding lyrics and instrumentals had the crowd moving, singing along, dancing and interacting any way they could. There was many happy fans screaming the lyrics back in the crowd with big smiles on their face. This band does not disappoint live.
Finally it was time for the hometown heroes, Four Year Strong. In a venue that is not in Boston and often mispronounced city name, it is not unusual for crowds at The Palladium to yell at people what city they’re in, or how to correctly say it. It might not be the capital but this area has a lot of spirit and their own spunk, so it’s no surprise that the are many fans for a hometown band such as Four Year Strong. The pop-punk band formed over 20 years ago, back in 2001, and have been a staple in the pop-punk music scene ever since. They have toured with many other pop-punk bands and played some of the biggest venues around the world (and close to home like Fenway).
It was no mystery or surprise that most of the crowd was most excited to see the headliners of the night, Four Year Strong. There was a buzz of excitement in the air even waiting for them to get on stage and it reached a boiling point as the band began playing their first song. The show was a full experience with the room filled with fog and bright lights that were all different colors and coordinated to the beat of the songs.
This may have been one of the only annual “holiday” shows that doesn’t have a single outright Christmas or festive song but nobody in the crowd was complaining. From the start to the end of the show, there may have been a new record for crowd surfers during one set at The Palladium. There wasn’t only crowd surfing though, there was big circle pits, dancing, jumping, fans screaming along their favorite lyrics and anything else fans do while enjoying themselves. The set had something for old and new fans alike, songs spanning the band’s discography with hits like “Bada Bing! Wit’ a Pipe!”, “maybe it’s me”, and “Wasting Time (Eternal Summer)”, and “We All Float Down Here”.
FOUR YEAR STRONG
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MICROWAVE
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FREE THROW
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PRINCE DADDY & THE HYENA
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WORCESTER PALLADIUM
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