2008 Taking Back Sunday

Taking Back Sunday started playing their post-hardcore music in 1999 and was influenced by the intensity of bands like Fugazi, At The Drive-In and emo pioneers Sunny Day Real Estate. After releasing an EP in 2001 and hitting the road with some heavy touring, the band joined Victory Records and began their climb from the underground music world of Amityville, New York, to national recognition on magazine covers and music charts.

The 2002 album Tell All Your Friends featured the passionate vocals of singer Adam Lazzara and the powerful guitar of ex-Movielife member Ed Reyes. The other two members left the band after a rough touring schedule in 2003 but were replaced by Matt Rubano on bass and Fred Mascherino on guitar and background vocals.

After years of self-promotion the band's hard work and dedication paid off with the album Where You Want to Be in 2004. The album hit number three on Billboard's Top 200 chart and Taking Back Sunday soon headlined a sold-out world tour that included the UK rock festivals Leeds and Reading as well as the Vans Warped Tour.

The next year the band signed a record deal with Warner Bros. and went on a co-headlining tour with Jimmy Eat World. Taking Back Sunday's third album, Louder Now, produced by Eric Valentine (known for his work with Queens of the Stone Age), was released in 2006. The album set the band apart from their peers and was a powerful display of what the new hardcore sound could become.

Taking Back Sunday may be a bit aggressive in concert, as on the single 'MakeDamnSure' from Louder Now, but the band's pop influences can be seen in songs like 'Miami' and 'Error Operator.' Fans of the bands Motion City Soundtrack, Hawthorne Heights and Brand New will definitely want to get concert tickets to see Taking Back Sunday.