Yellowcard and Finch burn down Indy\’s Deluxe

Indianapolis fans were treated to a pop-punk paradise when Yellowcard came to town recently. The slightly more hardcore-influenced Finch and rising Japanese rock band One Ok Rock rounded out the lineup, ensuring energy levels were cranked to 11 all night. Despite initial disappointment over the show being booked for the venue’s smaller room- Deluxe instead of the larger Egyptian Room, it ended up being the perfect setting. The room was nearly overflowing and with fans packed so tightly together it made for an incredible sight as you stood at the back of the room and saw hundreds of people clapping in unison. Starting things off was One Ok Rock who had a massive fan turnout despite never rarely playing Indianapolis. American concert-goers were given a real treat by seeing the band play in such an intimate venue considering they regularly sell out arenas in Japan, oftentimes adding a second or even a third date in order to accommodate all of their fans. [lg_slideshow folder=\”2015/Yellowcard and Finch in Indy/One OK Rock/\”] All of their time playing arenas has clearly paid off, as they dominated Deluxe’s small stage, using up every last inch of the stage. Lead singer Takahiro Morita (or simply “Taka”) paced back and forth, whipping his microphone around so the cord would dramatically fly out near the front row. Musically, they could easily stand alongside the best on any mainstream rock station in America, their stage show is top notch, and they have impressive fan turn out, even in markets they’ve never played before…it’s safe to say One Ok Rock is going to be around for awhile, and will soon be dominating American charts. Finch started their set with one of their biggest hits, “What It Is To Burn,” which made for an incredible opening, but was also a bit hard to top as they made their way through the rest of their set. Vocalist Nate Barcalow sounds flawless live, matching his studio vocals perfectly. [lg_slideshow folder=\”2015/Yellowcard and Finch in Indy/Finch/\”] Although it was somewhat disappointing to not hear a handful of their older hits (“Letters To You” or “Ender,” for example) performed the band managed to play a good mix of new and old material, making sure to throw in some fan favorites such as “What It Is To Burn” and “Stay With Me” to stand alongside some of their newer stuff like “Anywhere But Here” off 2014’s Back To Oblivion. Finally, Yellowcard’s Sean Mackin appeared on stage under a haze of smoky purple lights and played the opening notes to “Convocation,” before the rest of the band joined him on stage as they entered in to “Transmission Home,” both tracks from 2014’s Lift A Sail. Ryan Key stopped the show for a moment to ask for all of the guys in the room to get ready to sing what is perhaps the “most unmanly thing possible” before he headed in to “One Bedroom.” Lead guitarist Ryan Mendez hammered out a scorching solo towards the end of the song with such intensity that it was begging for another round of the chorus, which sadly was not to be. While many have always thought Yellowcard leaned a bit more towards the “pop” part of pop-punk they put only a genuinely impressive rock show, and they had more crowd surfers than many of the more mainstream rock bands. Towards the end of the night was the Lift A Sail ballad “California” that had fans swaying back and forth as they cried out the lyrics. The band walked off stage for a small break before coming back on and performing a handful of songs, including their breakthrough single “Ocean Avenue” off 2003’s Ocean Avenue album. [lg_slideshow folder=\”2015/Yellowcard and Finch in Indy/Yellowcard/\”] Although the band has grown far beyond their original hit this was still a major highlight of the night. There didn’t seem to be a single person in the room who wasn’t chanting every word, and Mackin’s cheerful violin was a real treat to hear live, as it carried the entire song. The tour continues through May 10th when the band will have a short break before setting off for Australia and New Zealand in June and July. -Ashley Adcox