Philadelphia Band Plays To Packed Crowd At The Riviera
CHICAGO | The lights dimmed inside Chicago’s iconic Riviera Theatre the night of October 8 as Philadelphia pop-punk legends The Wonder Years prepared to take the stage. The entire theater sat still, the stage lit by only the red glow of a large, devil shaped set piece in its center.
As the band began to walk on stage, cheering from fans drowned out any other noise in the building. A now decade old recording of the band’s singer and frontman Dan Campbell played over loudspeakers, “People say the greatest generation has come and gone, but they’re wrong,” Campbell’s voice rang out, “they haven’t seen what we’re capable of.” Red light flooded the Riviera as The Wonder Years launched into “There, There,” the opening track of the band’s 2013 album The Greatest Generation.
The Wonder Years recently played Chicago during their 10-year anniversary tour for their record The Greatest Generation (TGG). Leading up to the tour, the band promised to play the album in full as well as a whole second set every single night. This, combined with three opening bands (Action/Adventure, Sweet Pill, and Anxious), spawned an air of excitement fit only for a band with such a notorious dedication to their fanbase as The Wonder Years.
Much of the excitement can be attributed to the tour’s celebrated album, even without the second set or opening acts. The Greatest Generation has held a significant place in not only The Wonder Years’ discography, but the genre of pop-punk since its release in 2013. Often heralded as one of the best albums of the genre, TGG was considered by many to be a shoe-in for the band’s best album, until the release of their latest record and spiritual sequel to TGG, The Hum Goes On Forever, in 2022.
Despite a decade passing since its release, TGG still resonates with a modern audience, “For me it’s the idea of post-anxiety realization and really resonating with who you are, but also who the people before you are and how that kind of relates to you as well and knowing that your personal, physical, and emotional limitations aren’t the limitations that you are,” said fan DJ Lucas on what the album means to him. For many fans like Lucas, TGG isn’t just an album, but an anthemic narrative connecting themes of legacy and loss to generational empowerment.
“When they brought this one out it was like I really needed to hear the lyrics that they were saying,” said another fan, Maria Calderas. “I felt like it brought out emotions I needed and [the band] were able to put it in words that I couldn’t.” TGG is an emotional album, dissecting the hardships of coming of age at a time where the world feels like it’s actively working against the younger generations, and still feeling like you’re falling behind your peers.
Despite the massive hype for the night’s main act, many attended the concert for the openers as well. “I actually really enjoy Action/Adventure, Sweet Pill, and Anxious,” concertgoer Stephen Eckhardt said, “I’ve listened to maybe five minutes of [The Wonder Years].” A statement that is warranted, as the three performances only escalated in energy, any of the opening acts could have carried a show on their own.
The night began with Chicago native BIPOC pop-punk outfit Action/Adventure. With a slew of upbeat and catchy tunes, Action/Adventure served the audience a nostalgic reminder of the mall pop-punk acts of the 2000s. The band set the precedent for the night’s performances, with frontman Blake Everisto announcing “We’re gonna give you 110% up here, and we expect nothing less from y’all,” at the top of their set.
If Action/Adventure gave 110%, then Philadelphia emo act Sweet Pill kicked it up to 200%. Singer Zayna Youssef theatrically entered the stage as the first song began in a red jumpsuit, reminiscent of old metal bands like Slipknot. From the first note Youssef sang, Sweet Pill held a tight control of the audience — prompting an amount of singing along and moshing unexpected from an opening band.
The energy only continued to skyrocket once final openers Anxious took the stage. Using catchy melodic hooks mixed with a classic and heavy hardcore sound, Anxious increased the energy of the crowd tenfold. As concertgoers were moshing the heaviest they had up to that point, the audience was almost violently pushed up against the barricade; while frontman Grady Allen displayed a masterclass in punk crowd work, regularly talking to the audience to keep up energy and ensure every audience member’s safety.
When it finally came time for The Wonder Years to take the stage, one would expect the audience to be too tired after three killer opening bands. However, by the use of some kind of magic, the audience only intensified. The magic in question: The Wonder Years.
For two whole back to back sets not a single audience member was silent, with the crowd shouting along to every song the band played. From cult hit to album deep cut, it felt like everyone in the Riviera knew every single word.
The Wonder Years’ first set consisted of TGG in its entirety. The band was aided by an elaborate set and light display, helping convey the emotions and themes of each song from first to last. Campbell spoke to the audience between most songs, reflecting on how far the band had come in the past decade, as well as how that decade shaped the meaning of each song.
When the band reached the album’s middle track, “The Devil In My Bloodstream,” they brought out Sweet Pill’s Youssef to sing harmonies, only causing more audience screaming and support. Campbell also made a point to reaffirm the album’s message, prompting to the audience “To me the greatest generation will be the one that can build an equitable and sustainable future, so I ask you Chicago, why the fuck not us?”
The highlight of the first set was the highly anticipated final song of TGG, “I Just Want To Sell Out My Funeral”. In the album’s anthemic 7-minute finale, The Wonder Years bring back choruses and riffs from the rest of the songs on the album, providing a holistic feeling of finality and closure to the album. The audience responded to this accordingly, with the highly active moshpit (that had retained the same energy for the entire set) turning into a crowdsurf assembly line of sorts, several concertgoers working in tandem to launch their peers above the sea of fans.
Although the band took a brief break between the first and second set, once they returned for round 2, the energy remained. Their second set consisted of songs not from TGG, starting with their latest record’s track “Oldest Daughter,” and ending with their biggest hit “Came Out Swinging”. Despite finishing the anniversary performance, Campbell still took time to reflect on the last decade of The Wonder Years, expressing to the audience that he was happy to have fans old and new at the show, making a point to claim ,“I need you to know we are the best we’ve ever been right fucking now.” If the two entire back to back sets the band played to a crowd of screaming fans for every song say anything, Campbell’s statement rings true.
The Wonder Years are a band not only known for their anthemic and emotive brand of pop-punk, but also for the heart and energy of their live performances. A band that started just for laughs playing in basements across Philadelphia over 10 years ago, they put on the best live show they ever have as they now enter their late 30s.
The Greatest Generation depicts the voices of a young generation lost in the legacies of those who came before them. Now, as that generation starts to reach the ages of the source of their former angst, they’re faced with the responsibility of paving the way for the new generation. As The Wonder Years reflect on the band they’ve grown up to be, they refuse to ignore those growing up now. The modern world often feels hopeless and on the brink of collapse, but bands like The Wonder Years are still working hard to inspire hope for a better life for all who come after them. To young Millennials and members of Gen Z the world may seem stacked against them, but in the words of Campbell, “they haven’t seen what we’re capable of.”