The plaza stage at Stateside Live in Philadelphia, located within the complex of Citizens Bank Park and Xfinity Mobile Arena, had its grand opening on Friday night headlined by Taking Back Sunday and guests Mayday Parade and Bayside.
The free, capacity-limited show felt a lot like a festival or a party rather than a typical concert. Doors opened early, and by the time the sun started to drop over the South Philly sports complex, the place was already packed tight.
After Bayside kicked off the party, Mayday Parade held their own with a set which featured huge crowd reception. With a full hour-long set, the band’s set felt like a headlining show.
By the time Taking Back Sunday came out, the energy had already been built. They just pushed it further.
The band, now reunited with both Fred Mascherino and John Nolan on guitar, leaned into many classics and deep cuts from their “Louder Now” record. Taking Back Sunday is no longer known for impressive vocals, but this showing wasn’t too bad. More importantly, the energy was high and the audience was having a great time.
The most interesting part of the night, though, wasn’t the setlists; it was the setting.
Stateside Live’s new outdoor stage is built right into the Philadelphia sports complex, and it plays into that environment. Open space, standing room, and a layout that keeps the crowd close to the stage even as it spreads out.
My one knock is that the audio was poor in many parts of the venue. The sound wasn’t great unless you were located dead-center of the stage, despite the crowd expanding pretty far to the sides of the stage. But nobody in the show paid for their ticket, so I doubt many are complaining.
EDM duo Two Friends take over the venue on Saturday night for a venue that will certainly pick up major acts as time goes on.
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