show review: The Story So Far
The Story So Far is a pop-punk band that formed in 2007 in Walnut Creek, California and have released 5 albums signed to Pure Noise Records. The name was derived from “The Story So Far” off of Sticks and Stones (2002) by New Found Glory. The band has gone through many different member changes and currently consists of Parker Cannon (vocals), Kevin Geyer (guitar, backing vocals + keyboards), Ryan Torf (drums, keyboard, bass, guitar), and Will Levy (rhythm guitar). Touring musicians include Nik Bruzzese (bass + backing vocals) and Ross Traver (drums). They have released albums Under Soil and Dirt (2011), What You Don’t See (2013), The Story So Far (2015), Proper Dose (2018), and I Want to Disappear (2024). Their first three albums are definitely strictly categorized as pop-punk while their fourth album steered a bit away from that sound as they incorporated indie rock as well. A lot of their music incorporates a lot of hardcore punk and punk rock elements, often getting their sound to be labeled as “edgier” pop punk.
The Story So Far has been one of my favorite bands since I was a teenager. I’ve been listening to them since their second album, What You Don’t See, and I always jump on the opportunity to go and see them. I’ve been able to see them live through three separate album releases and I will be forever grateful. They opened up their set with “Big Blind,” a single from their most recent album. They quickly brought it back and played “The Glass” off of What You Don’t See second and “Out of It” off of Proper Dose third. I got lucky that I befriended a security guard who let me hide my camera under the barricade, because the best way to enjoy a The Story So Far show is straight up in the thick of it all. And that’s what I got to do. Their sets truly never disappoint. I got the chance to see this same tour a few weeks earlier in Boston, and as amazing as the crowd was there there’s something so special seeing them in their home state. I’ve seen them in multiple different states and California just hits different. No matter how chaotic the middle of the pit is I never feel out of place or unsafe, I’m surrounded by a community that’s there for each other and that looks out for each other. It’s quite an experience. Crowding surfing during “Things I Can’t Change” and absolutely losing my mind during “Empty Space” and “Solo” will never get old. The lyrics “But if you keep this up you’ll die here all alone” from “Keep This Up” will always be screamed by me until I feel my throat hurt, and ending the night on the iconic “Quicksand” bridge made the night one to remember forever.
Superheaven, originally called Daylight from 2008-2014, is an American alternative rock band that was formed in Doylestown, Pennsylvania in 2008. There was a legal dispute with a Spanish band named Daylight, therefore making the change from Superheaven in early 2014. Their music is categorized as grunge and shoegaze, definitely being one of the main staple artists in the shoegaze genre. Superheaven stopped playing for awhile in 2016, yet had reunion shows in 2017, 2018 and 2019 before completely reuniting in 2022. The group consists of Jake Clarke (vocals + guitar), Joe Kane (bass), Taylor Madison (vocals + guitar), and Zack Robbins (drums). They have released two studio albums; Jar in 2013 and Ours Is Chrome in 2015. In November of 2024 Superheaven released “Long Gone,” their first release since Ours Is Chrome. “Numb to What Is Real” is their most recent release (a few days before this concert) and have announced that their third studio album, Superheaven, should be released in spring of 2025.
his was the first chance that I’ve been able to see Superheaven live and I was immediately blown away. Earlier in the year their song “Youngest Daughter,” which was released 10 years before through their album Jar, went extremely viral thanks to Tik Tok. They opened their set with “Long Gone,” “Sponge” followed with “Sheltered.” Superheaven are shoegaze icons, and seeing them live genuinely felt like an ethereal experience. The lighting they used was perfectly matched with their music, creating a dark and moody experience. Their most recent release “Numb To What Is Real” has quickly become one of my favorites and I can’t wait for their upcoming album.
Koyo is an American hardcore supergroup that formed in 2020 from Stony Brook, New York. Their sound has been compared to specific ‘Long Island emo,’ pop punk and melodic hardcore bands like Taking Back Sunday. Some other influences for the group consist of Brand New, Glassjaw, and Crime in Stereo. Since their inception they have released three EPs titled Short Beach Sessions (2020, Painting Words into Lines (2020), and Drives Out East (2021) and only one studio album in 2023 titled Would You Miss It? Their most recent releases are singles “Ten Digits Away - Deluxe,” “I Might Not Get Through All of This,” and “Mile A Minute” in the end part of 2024. If asked, the band would describe their sound as ‘Stony Brook hardcore.’ Majority of the group’s members played in other hardcore bands (including Typecaste, Rain of Salvation, Hangman, SeeYouSpaceCowboy, and Adrenaline) before coming all together as Koyo. They were all long time friends and decided that they wanted to record music. The current lineup consists of members Joey Chiramonte (vocals), Stephen Spanos (bass), Sal Argento (drums), and guitarists TJ Rotolico and Harold Griffin.
The original name for the band was The L Word after the song “Taming L Word” by the band Silent Majority, a Long Island melodic hardcore band. Former member Mike Marazzo (guitar) suggested the name “Koyo” after the Japanese term for the colors of leaves changing in autumn.
This is the second time I’ve seen Koyo live and they always put on a killer show. They started their set with “I Might Not,” “Moriches,” and “Life’s a Pill” and ended their set with one of their newest releases “Mile a Minute.”
