Concert Review: Bayside at Wooly’s
September 9, 2015
Bayside rocked out to a large group of loyal fans at Wooly’s in Des Moines on Sept. 8.
The first opening band, Better Off, took the stage right at 7:30 p.m. and played a short yet enjoyable set with many upbeat tunes including some from their upcoming album, “Milk,” which is due out on Sept. 11.
“Wow, you guys are nice,” front man Luke Granered said after receiving a generous amount of cheers, to which one fan responded, “You’re in Iowa!”
The Early November took the stage next at 8:15 p.m. to much of the crowd’s pleasure.
The band played a variety of songs that spanned their entire discography, including a few from 2003’s “The Room’s Too Cold” and 2015’s “Imbue.”
Much of the crowd seemed to be big fans of the band and were chanting along to the songs. There were constant song requests, and one fan even asked the band to come play at her house.
“Next time we’re in Des Moines, the party is at your place,” Arthur “Ace” Enders of The Early November said in response to the fan.
Bayside took the stage at 9:30 p.m. with sinister music accompanying them. The band’s amps had “Cult” written across them to represent the group’s 2014 album of the same name and the popular fan saying: “Bayside is a cult.”
Crowd pleaser and 2014 single “Pigsty” opened the show.
The first half of the set was filled with fan favorites including “The Walking Wounded,” “Duality” and “They’re Not Horses, They’re Unicorns.”
“This is probably the best Tuesday night of the summer,” bassist Nick Ghanbarian said.
The second half kept the energy going with upbeat tunes and got the crowd dancing with “Montauk,” “Blame It on Bad Luck” and “Sick, Sick, Sick.”
“We write a lot of sad songs, but this last one is a love song,” front man Anthony Raneri said before starting “Landing Feet First.”
The band then left the stage, before returning for an encore with Raneri and Jack O’Shea for the reserved “Don’t Call Me Peanut.”
The concert came to a close with the band performing their signature track “Devotion and Desire” which had everyone singing and dancing along.
Bayside has always had a loyal following, and their show in Des Moines proved that any show on a Tuesday night can be great with the right crowd.