Believe it or not, it’s a Wednesday night, and Metro City in Perth, Australia, is packed. The crowd hums with electricity, flowing through the venue like one feverish organism. Concertgoers silently curse their past selves for not packing a mini fan in their crossbody bags—anything for even the faintest whisper of a breeze. Above them, others grip the railings of the towering, multi-level stands, watching from on high like spectators in a coliseum, lost in the haze of stage lights and shared heat.
You’d be forgiven for thinking summer had overstayed its welcome, throwing one last sweaty tantrum. But no—this is autumn. Outside, the leaves are curling at the edges, touched with copper and change, while inside, it’s all molten energy and teenage flashbacks.
Even Yellowcard looks a little stunned. And no, we’re not talking about that flash of referee justice on the European football pitch—though stick around long enough, and you might get why they hijacked the term for a band name. The early 2000s emo-punk stalwarts are back, and the spark is still very much alive.
Five Aussie Suns Rating For Ocean Avenue
Frontman Ryan Key, now with a few more years and a few more stories, scans the sea of bodies with the kind of awe that’s part humble, part high. He gestures toward the edge of the stage and recalls how, not long ago, they played a venue nearby to a crowd you could count on two hands and a foot. But tonight? It’s a wall-to-wall wave of fans, sweating like it’s the middle of an Aussie January.
And in that sticky moment, one thing becomes clear: Ocean Avenue, the album they’re celebrating tonight, has always had a way of bending time. Its lead single (yes, that ‘Ocean Avenue’) dropped on February 24, 2004—technically still winter, but already dreaming of Polaroid summers. You know the one: silhouetted it girl, hair whipped by wind, beach sunset bleeding behind her. The song cruised through spring, snagged an MTV award (anyone remember TRL?), and the full album had landed by the time summer rolled in.
Scorching Line-Up
So we’ll forgive a few things tonight: Aussies, Ocean Avenue, and—what the h*ll—Yellowcard too. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves—much like the seasons lately—because we haven’t even touched on the epic lineup. Ready to harmonise a little “Da, da-da-dum?” (No, that’s not us asking—it’s Plain White T’s frontman Tom Higgenson, mid-bridge on ‘Rhythm of Love,’ channeling full composer mode.) Ticking ‘Hey There, Delilah’ off the live music bucket list was everything we hoped it would be—and then some.
Cue the friendship bracelets flying into the crowd (yes, really), just as Higgenson did. Then came Motion City Soundtrack, bursting onstage like someone hit shuffle on a 2006 iPod. Frontman Justin Pierre—yes, the guy whose hair always looks like he lost a fight with a static balloon—was battling some sickness but pushed through with Aussie-level grit. Mid-set, he even paused for a heartfelt shout-out to Jessie, a sick fan he’d met the day before, thanking her and her family right before launching into ‘L.G. FUAD.’ Perfect timing, especially with that infamous opening line—“Let’s get f*cked up and die”—backing him like a chaotic rallying cry.
A Burst Of Yellowcard
Then, like the turn of a staticky radio dial—a time warp straight to the early 2000s—Yellowcard bursts onto the stage. Conan O’Brien’s voice crackles through the speakers, followed by an alarming warning sound and a dozen yellow strobe lights, ensuring we’ll never confuse their name. “I think I’m breaking out!” Ryan Key screams into the mic. It’s more than just an opening lyric—it’s the night’s intention, setting the tone as they tear through classics like the violin-highlighted ‘Believe,’ taking a detour into Paper Walls territory with ‘Keeper,’ and even landing on ‘Only One’—the song that likely soundtracked your favorite fan edit from back in the day.
Oh, and if you thought tonight was just about the old hits, think again! The band’s been busy working on their 11th studio album with none other than Blink-182’s Travis Barker, who’s behind the production. While die-hard fans may have already caught a sneak peek of ‘Better Days’ in Glasgow last November, those who hadn’t yet heard it were already belting out the lyrics by the time the song wrapped up. “I know you don’t know the lyrics. That’s alright. Just bang your fu*king head,” Key bellowed.
The only downside? A little more visual flair wouldn’t hurt here, Yellowcard. C’mon, the backdrop for the night was a solitary lyric—“Staying up all night”—which, while fitting, felt a bit stripped down, especially considering the explosive energy of the show. With all that electric chaos onstage and the fans losing their minds below, something a little more summery—acting as the spiritual anchor for their closing song, ‘Ocean Avenue’—would’ve had us throwing on our flip-flops in the middle of autumn.
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