YELLOWCARD ROCKS CENTRAL PARK
SUMMER STAGE - NEW YORK, NY
Summer is here, the Knicks won the finals, and Yellowcard is back in town … safe to say it’s a damn good time to be in New York. Currently on their UP UP DOWN DOWN TOUR, the four-piece rock band made their way back to the city for their largest headline show in New York to date on Thursday, June 11th.
Supported by New Found Glory and Plain White T’s, the preshow warm-up starts with the Ghostbusters theme song blasting, a ghost appearing, and a ghostbuster wielding a t-shirt gun.
Walking out to “Top Gun Anthem,” Yellowcard’s set begins at max speed with a mix of old and new songs: “Better Days,” the title track of their 2025 album; “Way Away,” (2003) and “For You and Your Denial.” (2011)
The midpoint of the show brought an acoustic set that the band dubbed “Meemaw’s Basement,” with stripped-back renditions of “Back Home,”“Big Blue Eyes” and “Empty Apartment,” all from their 2003 album Ocean Avenue. When introducing the set, both lead singer Ryan Key and violinist Sean Mackin spoke genuinely about how much they love their fans. You can tell it comes from the heart, with Mackin telling the crowd the fans are the reason for the sparkle in Yellowcard’s eyes.
The show finished off with a crescendo into the behemoth anthem that has fueled college bars across the nation for more than two decades: “Ocean Avenue.” 26 years in, Yellowcard is still at their best, with recent release “Bedroom Posters” featuring Good Charlotte hitting no. 1 on alternative radio charts. The UP UP DOWN DOWN TOUR is nostalgic, fresh, and a little cheeky, but most of all it’s just good fun and joy for the love of music.
