On Sunday September 10th, Long Island American Rock band Bayside played at Paradise Rock Club, along with former Massachusetts’ own Potty Mouth. Currently on tour for the 10th anniversary of their acclaimed 2007 release, The Walking Wounded, Bayside is a veteran act with an extremely loyal fan base. This claim is backed by Potty Mouth’s front person Abby Weens, who commented from the stage that Bayside has, “the best fans.”

And while Bayside may have “the best fans,” Potty Mouth was not a disappointing opening act. With the sound of Hole meets Josie and the Pussycats, the band expertly juxtaposed danger, as the group rocked out with fuzzed out guitar riffs. And with the release of their super catchy 2016 single, “Smash Hit,” it’s probably safe to assume that Potty Mouth will release a very strong and memorable full length album in the near future. Following Potty Mouth’s performance, bassist Nick Ghanbarian made a point to mention that Bayside hand selects the acts they tour with, and that they love exposing their audience to new music they believe in.

Bayside played a fantastic set, leading the crowd in an all-out sing along for every single song. This was no surprise, as out of their seven full length releases, The Walking Wounded is definitely the fan favorite. Written and recorded in 2005 following a tragic accident that resulted in the death of the band’s drummer, John Holohan, and the injury of Ghanbarian, Bayside chose to move forward and release the album, which would go on to define the rest of their career. Breaking out of their New York punk-influenced brand of rock, the band explored new influences like show tunes, and added waltz time signatures to their music. These changes helped to defy and redefine their music, resulting in the sound fans now most identify Bayside with.

At the end of the night, the 18-year-old band sounded fresh as ever, from Jack O’ Shea’s ripping guitar licks and Anthony Raneri’s Smoking Popes meets Fiddler on the Roof vocal stylings, to their hard hitting rhythm section. After feverishly slaying through the entirety of The Walking Wounded, Bayside blessed the crowd with an encore that seemed like an entire second set; playing deep cut fan favorites as well as newer tracks from the band’s ever growing catalog.