The Wonder Years brought their tales of loss, hope, and carrying on to the Ritz Ybor in Tampa, Florida on night 5 The Hum Goes On Forever tour.
Though the tour party consists of Hot Mulligan, they were not scheduled to play this date, and one of the opening slots was instead to be filled by The Wonder Years singer Dan Campbell performing a special set of tunes from another project of his, Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties. Campbell had recently injured his shoulder and was unable to play guitar, so Joe Junod of the band Dryjacket came to the rescue, performing an acoustic set of his own to kick off the show. I was excited to hear “Epi Pen Pals,” a Dryjacket song that has been in my playlist rotation lately. The venue began to fill out as he played his set, the packed audience giving him resounding applause after his final song.
The Wonder Years have an excellent track record of picking out tour support, and Carly Cosgrove is no exception. The band released their first full-length album, See You in Chemistry, last year and have been quickly gaining traction. They’re a little bit mathy, a little bit emo, and consistently very catchy. Due to the night’s changes in performers, their set was a little longer than it normally would have been. This allowed them to play an extra song, “Gamesphere,” which is my personal favorite tune off the new album. I can’t wait to be able to say I saw them play Tampa for the first time ever when they’re headlining the same stage in a few years.
The Wonder Years powered through a 20-song setlist that mixed a large chunk of songs from their latest album, The Hum Goes On Forever, with their huge hits and sprinkling of deeper cuts from the past. Arm strapped tightly against his body by a sling, Dan Campbell did not let his “broken wing” slow him down. Drummer, Mike Kennedy, had fallen ill, so the band was also down a member. Despite the odds, the band gave a spectacular performance.
The Wonder Years have grown up alongside their fans. Whether you’re in your “Jesus Christ, I’m 26” era or your “I spent the winter writing songs about getting better, and if I’m being honest, I’m getting there” era, they have historically always had a soundtrack to fill those growing-pain moments in life. Hum, however, touches on what’s on the other side of those moments, with one of its overarching themes being finding purpose in life that had previously been fleeting. Hearing those old songs against the new in this setlist is a touching look back at the road that brought the band and their fans to where they are now.
The tour is still in its early days, so there’s a good chance you’ll be able to catch a date near you. With an ever-flawless set by The Wonder Years and a stacked touring party as the cherry on top, it’s one of the hottest spring tours in the USA.
The Wonder Years
Carly Cosgrove
Joe Junod
