Mayday Parade Christens Stateside Live with a Night of Emo Anthems

Some venues get broken in quietly. Stateside Live, Philadelphia’s newest concert space, did not get that luxury. On May 29th, Mayday Parade became the first band to ever play the stage — and they made sure it counted.

The Florida pop-punk veterans opened with “Blame It on the Youth” and “Jersey,” two tracks that wasted no time setting the tone for the night. The crowd, already buzzing with the energy of being part of something historic, was singing every word before the first chorus even landed. “I’d Hate to Be You When People Find Out What This Song Is About” and “Piece of Your Heart” followed, sending the room into full sing-along mode. For a brand new venue, Stateside Live already felt like a room that had hosted a hundred shows, and Mayday Parade had everything to do with that.

The middle of the set leaned into the deeper cuts, with “Kids in Love,” “By the Way,” and “Anywhere but Here” giving longtime fans exactly what they came for. “It’s Hard to Be Religious When Certain People Are Never Incinerated by Bolts of Lightning” earned its moment, as it always does. It’s the kind of song that reminds you just how good Mayday Parade has always been at balancing emotional weight with sharp, catchy songwriting. “More Like a Crash” and “If You Wanted a Song Written About You, All You Had to Do Was Ask” kept that energy rolling without letting it dip.

The final stretch was “Pretty Good to Feel Something,” “Oh Well, Oh Well,” “Black Cat,” and closer “Jamie All Over.” It felt like a victory lap. By the time the last note rang out, it was hard to believe this was the very first show Stateside Live had ever seen. The room held the sound well, the crowd filled it perfectly, and Mayday Parade did what they’ve always done: made a room full of people feel every single word.

History has to start somewhere. For Stateside Live, it started on a pretty good night.

Connect with Mayday Parade: Instagram // TikTok // YouTube // Spotify