By Shari WeissPLAY Writer
If there’s one thing Taking Back Sunday does right, it’s put on a good concert. A band known as much for its onstage antics (one of them sustained a gash to the head thanks to a free-wheeling microphone) as its music, Taking Back Sunday is preparing for an upcoming U.S. winter tour.
Bassist Matt Rubano, vocalist Adam Lazzara, guitarists Eddie Reyes and Fred Mascherino and drummer Mark O’Connell are embarking on a North American tour later this month.
“This tour is made up of places we haven’t been to in a while or haven’t been to ever,” Rubano says. “It’s a lot of the cities we don’t normally get to see, which makes it great for us.” This includes going straight through Canada, something they’ve never done before.
Fans and critics noted a change in Taking Back Sunday’s sound and lyrical style in both Louder Now (Warner 2006), and its predecessor, Where You Want to Be (Victory 2004). The newer albums are a marked change from the emo stylings of 2002’s Tell All Your Friends (Victory). The new sound is characterized by an assortment of booming drums and clanging riffs.
“We knew while we were writing we wanted to make a rock record. The stuff that stuck out as album-worthy and (that) we liked to play did tend to be the faster, harder songs,” Rubano says of Louder Now. And it’s what he says he’s most proud of.
“This record is the singular biggest accomplishment of my life so far,” he says. “As a collection of songs, I really stand by all of it.”
Two members left after Tell All Your Friends, an album which brought the group unexpected fame. Rubano and Mascherino stepped in, bringing along their own unique background and influences. But concert-goers can expect a set list that includes older songs.
“We’ve been getting ready to turn over our song list and play things we haven’t played in a long time. (It’s a) new list of old songs, and it will cover material from all the albums and B-sides,” Rubano says.
All three Taking Back Sunday records went gold, and Louder Now debuted last April at No. 2 on the Modern Rock chart. Gradually gaining success as opposed to exploding overnight was a good thing, Rubano says.
“It went from small clubs and theaters and Warped Tour to the bigger shows. We were always prepared and anxious for what came next.”
What came next for the band included having a bigger say in who they will tour with. On this tour, Underoath and Armor for Sleep will support the band.
“It’s a pretty fortunate position to be in, after years and years of playing shows with random bills,” Rubano says.
Fans craving new music have a long wait ahead of them. But the band knows it can depend on faithful followers.
“We’re a really lucky band in the sense that we have really devoted, loyal, enthusiastic fans that bring the show out of us,” Rubano says.
Onstage, that show includes plenty of flailing and screaming, along with sometimes dangerous microphone swinging. And while those fans can see Taking Back Sunday as the band hits cities across North America, the band won’t be releasing a new album for a while.
“I think we’ll probably be going in the studio sometime around the end of 2007,” Rubano says.
For now, Taking Back Sunday will promote their latest record. “We’d like to tour for Louder Now as long as we can because we love this album,” Rubano says. “There’s no substitute for going to see a band live.”
Medill sophomore Shari Weiss is a PLAY writer. She can be reached at [email protected].