Fans looking for a classic pop punk show needed only to attend The Story So Far’s fall tour. This energetic explosion- featuring Neck Deep and Origami Angel- found the perfect home for the evening under the stars at Mesa Amphitheatre last week. It was an early, rainy night in Arizona but the vibes were perfect as each band turned the damp field into a muddy moshpit.
East Coast duo Origami Angel started playing while the sun was still up but the fans absolutely turned out in force to catch them opening the show. The band has visited Arizona many times over the years, finding community in unconventional spaces and they now got to bring that camaraderie to a much bigger crowd. The audience started the pit early, kicking up dust to “Bossa Nova Corps” and “666 Flags” to get the party started.
Neck Deep crossed the pond once again for another successful visit to the States. Dozens of fans were spotted decked out in the band’s merch and they were itching to move when the UK rockers jumped into “Motion Sickness” and “Gold Steps”. In typical fashion for a Neck Deep gig, bodies began flying over the barricade as the crowd surfing really kicked into gear- an occurrence that lasted the duration of the show and certainly kept the wall of security guards on their toes. After an exuberant set, the band ended their time with “We Need More Bricks” and “STFU” as a thoroughly exhausted crowd found their second wind for the last band of the night.
The Story So Far has been making good noise for almost two decades now and their passion for performing is still fresh for the band and for the diehard fans that continue to show up for every tour. This mutual love was plain to see as singer Parker Cannon encouraged the crowd to keep moving while the band whirled through “Roam” and “All This Time”.
Their legacy has long been cemented so TSSF simply continues to show the fans what they’re made of- and this includes creating a safe space for the lost, broken outcasts that have always found a home in pop punk. Now that their fanbase is older, those sentiments still ring true- just in different contexts- so the impassioned singing along is heartfelt at any age. Listeners who found the band as kids now have kids of their own, bringing the next generation to the rock show and raising them on the music that shaped so many people.
After a rowdy 21 songs and a hard stop curfew in place, TSSF wound down the night with “Clairvoyant” and an encore of “Quicksand”, sending everyone home to rest up after such a wild show. The tour is now over but The Story So Far likely won’t be off the road for long- we’ll be anticipating their return to Phoenix for another chance to rock out with these pop punk staples.
