If the soundtrack to your youth came from One Tree Hill, then “Hello Gone Days” Tour is perfect for you. With Dashboard Confessional and Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness singing a combination of new hits and longtime classics, they made the concert a magical evening for everyone. The two artists have been around since the late 90s/early 2000s with various name changes and breaks. However, they are back and stronger than ever. Playing to crowds of thousands of people singing along to every note, this tour was nothing short of magical mixed with a bit of nostalgia.
The evening started early with opener Armor For Sleep. They previously toured with Andrew McMahon back when he was in his high school band, Something Corporate. For other dates of the tour, the openers are also rock/emo classics, Cartel and The Juliana Theory. Despite much of the audience being “elder emos,” they still knew how to have a good time. Everyone from the barricade to the lawn was swaying and singing along.
Next, Dashboard Confessional came out and the crowd went wild. Chris Carrabba, the singer, affectionately jokes with the audience that many of his long-time fans are now bringing their kids to show. The band plays 15 songs all with incredible stage presence and instrumentation. Between tracks Carrabba shares stores including how he has overcome learning the guitar again after a motorcycle accident in 2020. You would never even know as the guitar sounds as good live if not better than on soundtrack. The whole set is moving and everyone was on their feet for the final two hits, “Vindicated” and “Hands Down.” Those tracks left us all emotional in the best way possible.
Finally, it was time for Andrew McMahon. If anyone knows how to make playing a piano look cool, it’s Andrew. He played a mix of songs from all of his projects: Something Corporate, Jacks Mannequin, and the current Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness. The whole crowd was going wild as the energy level was high. Iconically, Andrew even crowd surfed on an inflatable llama pool float. He even played the 9.5-minute Something Corporate epic, “Konstantine,” which was an unexpected treat as its rarely performed. Then, the show closed with two colorful tracks “Dark Blue” and “Synesthesia” that were moving as always.
Overall, the “Hello Gone Days” tour was an event for the whole family. From the absolute emo teen classics to newer songs like “Fire Escape” and “Stolen,” every song was somehow better than the last. If you’re looking for a concert that makes you feel everything at once (in a good way), please go see Dashboard Confessional and/or Andrew McMahon. These men are extremely talented and have proven they’re here to stay. It’s beautiful seeing the power of music in person and even better to share that with so many likeminded people.
