Taking Back Sunday, June 19

Friday, June 19, 8 p.m.

Capitol Theatre, 330 West Third Street, Davenport IA

With their most recent album 152 hailed by Kerrang! as "a stunning set of songs that truly defies the band's age" and "the perfect bridge between past and present," the emo-pop and alternative rockers of Taking Back Sunday headline a June 19 concert at Davenport's Capitol Theatre, the staff Consequence magazine citing the group on their list of "The 100 Best Pop Punk Bands" in America.

Formed in Amityville, New York by guitarist Eddie Reyes and bassist Jesse Lacey in late 1999, Taking Back Sunday's current members are Adam Lazzara (lead vocals), John Nolan (lead guitar, keyboards, vocals) and Shaun Cooper (bass guitar), accompanied by Nathan Cogan (guitar) and Mitchell Register (drums) for their live performances. The band released their debut recording Tell All Your Friends in 2002, and according to AllMusic, "The album fared well both critically and commercially (it eventually reached platinum status), entering the Billboard 200 and number 183 and yielding one of the band's most enduring songs 'Cute Without the 'E' (Cut from the Team).' They spent the rest of that year and much of the next touring, but when Nolan and bassist Shaun Cooper left the band, Taking Back Sunday's future was left in doubt.

"Guitarist/vocalist Fred Mascherino (ex-Breaking Pangaea) and bassist Matt Rubano (ex-Schleigho) filled out the lineup in time for the band's fall 2003 tour and subsequent recording sessions. The band's sophomore effort, Where You Want to Be, arrived in mid-2004 and debuted at number three on Billboard's Top 200, establishing Taking Back Sunday as forerunners among the new wave of commercial emo bands. It also introduced the vocal interplay of Lazzara and Mascherino, a combination that would briefly become one of the band's sonic calling cards. Taking Back Sunday toured steadily behind the album, headlining a sold-out North American tour and hitting the usual Warped Tour stops as well.

"In the wake of Where You Want to Be's success, Taking Back Sunday signed with Warner Bros. in June 2005 and co-headlined several shows with Jimmy Eat World. They returned to the studio in August to commence work on their third full-length and major label debut. Produced by Eric Valentine (Third Eye Blind, Queens of the Stone Age), Louder Now debuted at number two upon its release in April 2006 and yielded a hit single in 'MakeDamnSure,' which made three U.S. charts and was a number one in the U.K. The album was a darker, more aggressive effort that tapped into the band's live energy, which was further displayed on the concert CD/DVD package Louder Now: Pt. Two. Despite the band's mounting profile, however, Fred Mascherino exited the lineup in October 2007 and launched a solo career. Several months later, former Facing New York member Matt Fazzi was announced as Mascherino's replacement, and the revised band spent the bulk of 2008 writing new material and playing sporadic shows. Bearing an increasingly pop-driven sound, Taking Back Sunday issued New Again in June 2009. The first album to feature Fazzi's contributions, it sent the band back into the Top Ten, peaking at number seven.”

Over the years since, Taking Back Sunday has enjoyed additional Billboard hits in their self-titled 2011 album, 2014's Happiness Is, 2016's Tidal Wave, and, releasing their first new music in more than four years, 2023's 152, Reviewing the recording for Wall of Sound, Kelsey Trevan found the album to be "an emotional and musical rollercoaster that goes from melancholic, to upbeat, to melancholic, to making you want to dance. He also called Taking Back Sunday's return "a great showcase of what the band used to be, what they are now, and what they could become in the future."

Taking Back Sunday brings their national tour to Davenport on June 19 alongside special guests Bayside, admission to the 8 p.m. concert event is $62-211, and more information and tickets are available by visiting FirstFleetConcerts.com/first-fleet-vanues/capitol-theatre.