A Lesson in Rembering: Mayday Parade Rewind

In 2007, Mayday Parade released their debut album A Lesson in Romantics after signing to Fearless Records. The Florida natives crash-landed onto the scene after the release of their first EP Tales Told by Dead Friends in 2006, which featured a few of the tracks that made it onto the debut album. While the EP sold over 10,000, it was their debut album that really pushed them into the heart of pop punk lovers everywhere, earning the band a spot on the 2008 Vans Warped Tour as well as two MTV Video Music Award nominations.

In celebration of its release 10 years ago, Mayday Parade decided to do an anniversary tour as a way to reminisce with the fans, especially those that have been there since the beginning. It’s crazy to see just how far the band has come over the past couple of years, how their music has matured and their fan base has grown. The fan will be joined by Knuckle Puck and label mates Milestones. I caught the very end of Knuckle Puck’s set while at Warped last year so I’m really excited to see them perform. Milestones signed to Fearless last year and released their debut EP Equal Measures. This band hails all the way from the UK so I’m even more stoked to see these guys hit the stage.

Since the anniversary tour is the band’s way of reminiscing with fans, I decided to take a look back at how I first became acquainted with Mayday Parade. A friend of mine introduced me to their music on MySpace one day and I’ve been hooked ever since. “Black Cat” was the first song I had ever heard from the band and it quickly became one of my most played songs on my iPod. A Lesson in Romantics was among some of my favorite albums growing up, alongside From Under the Cork Tree from Fall Out Boy, A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out from Panic! At The Disco, and many more. Almost every girl on MySpace had "You be the Anchor That Keeps My Feet on the Ground, And I'll Be the Wings That Keep Your Head in the Clouds" as their headline. That particular song was the final track on the album; the band originally wrote it because they were trying to be "poetic". It worked out perfectly because if you wanted to be deep and express how dramatic and heartfelt your teen years were - that was one of the songs you quoted. The first track Mayday wrote was "When I Get Home, You're So Dead" and that was the song that really made an impression on me. To this day, it's still my all-time favorite Mayday Parade song. I'm still bitter that I haven't copped a pair of those iconic shorts that say "Girls Make Boys Cry" across the back. I haven't given up hope yet so, fingers crossed.

I first saw Mayday Parade when I was a sophomore or junior in high school. I forced my friend to listen to their music the week leading up to the show so that she'd be prepared because I was definitely going to make her sing with me during my favorite songs. I got my first piece of Mayday Parade merch while I was at the show – a shirt that said “Without @Mayday_Parade, I’d Be Miserable At Best.” I still rock that shirt today. I took pictures on my shitty cell phone and posted them all over my MySpace. After the show Derek came out to do an encore acoustic set and it was absolutely beautiful. I watched Mayday Parade perform for the second time at Warped Tour last year and they're just as amazing now as they were back then. I was still that teen, passionately screaming the lyrics to "Jamie All Over" at the top of my lungs, surrounded by people who love them just as much as I do. I can't wait to be surrounded by them again when I see them for the third time during their anniversary tour in May.