New Found Glory’s Sticks and Stones 20th Anniversary Tour — Fillmore Silver Spring (June 8, 2022)
New Found Glory’s third album “Sticks and Stones” turned 20 this year. Having last seen New Found Glory at a Warped Tour, I was really looking forward to seeing them again.
With popular hits like “Hit or Miss,” “My Friends Over You,” and “Head on Collision,” New Found Glory was one of the definitive bands of the pop punk era, easily identifiable with their distinct vocal sound of lead vocalist Jordan Pundik. They were the band that inspired future bands like All Time Low and the Story So Far, both of them taking names pulled from New Found Glory’s lyrics.
As I listened to the supporting bands play, I gazed out into the crowd. The majority of the attendees appeared to be fans that discovered New Found Glory when pop punk was at its peak, ranging from middle school to early 20s at the time. Now, they were present, with their children in tow, ready to hear one of their favorite albums performed live. I kind of laughed to myself because, while the crowd had been receptive to the opening bands, there wasn’t as much body movement in the crowd as it would’ve been 20 years ago…we’re all older, especially physically.
That definitely changed when New Found Glory stepped out on stage, accompanied by the tune “A Thousand Miles” by Vanessa Carlton.
As the band began performing, nostalgia ran high; everyone sang along with every word and verse, hands waving in the air, accompanying Jordan at full volume. There were even fans still brave enough to crowd surf! The band played the album in its entirety (in order) with Jordan at the lead, Ian Grushka on bass, Chad Gilbert on lead guitar and backing vocals, and Cyrus Bolooki behind the drum kit.
Once they wrapped up the Sticks and Stones performance, the band left the stage…only to return a short while later, accompanied by the Gary Glitter classic “Rock and Roll (Part II).”
The encore contained other fan favorites, starting with “Hit or Miss.” There were also a couple of cover songs—Go West’s “King of Wishful Thinking” (which I must say I thoroughly enjoyed) and “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the Richer. Chad joked that a lot of kids grew up with their parents playing their cover of the song and weren’t even aware of the original version.
At one point in the show, Chad had also shared a story about how he almost died in late 2021. Unbeknownst to him at the time, he had a rare tumor (called pheochromocytoma) that caused him to be unresponsive, requiring quick thinking and life-saving skills from his wife before he could be transported and treated at a hospital. After sharing his story about enduring surgery and coming out okay (and displaying his scar), Chad reminded the crowd to live life fully and to “take care of yourself.”
Sometimes we all need that kind of reminder, as we tend to get caught up in our daily grinds. This tour date was one of those kind of events where you could forget life’s issues for a little bit and get caught up in memories of youth and the “good ol’ days.”
The longevity of this band is kind of amazing because, if you think about it, they existed before streaming, and they honestly didn’t get much radio play (not as much as they should have). They were more of a touring band, getting fans through word of mouth. But, from seeing their diehard (and new) fans at Fillmore Silver Spring, I think New Found Glory is going to have fans for 20 more years (if not more). Think there will be a 40th Anniversary Tour, guys?
NOTE: For those that love New Found Glory…or those that don’t know much about them…Amazon Music recently curated a three-hour playlist from the band’s entire catalog called “Rediscover New Found Glory.”
Setlist:
Sticks and Stones
Understatement
My Friends Over You
Sonny
Something I Call Personality
Head On Collision
It’s Been a Summer
Forget My Name
Never Give Up
The Great Houdini
Singled Out
Belated
The Story So Far
Encore
Hit or Miss
Hold My Hand
King of Wishful Thinking (Go West cover)
Dressed to Kill
Ready & Willing
Kiss Me (Sixpence None the Richer cover)
All Downhill From Here
Words & Photos: Deanna Escobar/Sugarshot Media