Concert Review: A Day To Remember at Valley View Casino Center

Over the past couple years, A Day To Remember have come to San Diego half a dozen times, and I always make sure that I have a ticket to see them. The reason for this is simple: It’s worth it. These guys know how to put on one heck of a live show, and as far as I’m concerned, they have only gotten better with each tour.

My only concern for this concert was that, although they had put on amazing shows at smaller venues and on Warped Tour, I didn’t know how they would handle headlining an arena. Turns out, I had no need to worry, because they can more than handle themselves on a larger scale. This was, without a doubt, my favorite concert of theirs that I have been to.

For their arena gig, ADTR really did it right, incorporating confetti cannons, smoke machines, a toilet-papering of the arena, lead singer Jeremy Mckinnon going through the crowd in a giant bubble, a man in a gorilla mask shooting t-shirts into the crowd, and a finale balloon drop, with another dose of confetti. Although some of this could have become a distraction from their actual music, it never did, as through it all the arena was filled with the voices of fans joining Mckinnon in every word.

The other thing ADTR did right was their set list. It was a mostly even blend of songs from every album, starting off with “Sticks and Bricks” from their most recent CD, What Separates Me From You, and closing out with fan favorite “The Plot To Bomb The Panhandle,” before coming back with an encore consisting of slow jam “If It Means A Lot To You” and, according to Mckinnon, “The motherf—ing jam,” “Downfall Of Us All” (the crowd agreed). The crowd went crazy for song after song, at one point creating the most incredible circle pit I have ever seen, circling around the entire floor area of the arena.

Perhaps the best moment of the concert came right before the band played the last song of their encore, which was when Mckinnon announced that they would be back in August for Warped Tour 2011. The crowd couldn’t have been happier to hear this, because, like me, they know that this band never disappoints. Their shows always leave the crowd hungry for more, delivering an experience that we never want to end. All I can say is, buy a ticket for Warped Tour, because this is one band you just don’t want to miss.