Elder Emo Night: Taking Back Sunday Fills The Dome in Wallingford
Taking Back Sunday brought their fall headline tour to The Dome at Toyota Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford on September 23, with Thrice and Saves the Day as openers. A near-capacity crowd is rare for a midweek Connecticut show, but all three bands soundtracked the Warped Tour era, and the room filled quickly with elder Millennials.
Pop-punk is in full resurgence, and just about everyone from that era is back on the road playing anniversary tours. For bands that have been at this for more than two decades, it's an opportunity to reconnect with their legacy fans, who often bring their own teenage children who were raised on these same tracks.
SAVES THE DAY
The last time Saves the Day and Taking Back Sunday toured together was the fall of 2003, and back then Saves the Day played the closing slot. Twenty-three years later, they opened the night to a packed house, which speaks volumes about their own legacy from that era. The New Jersey band played a much shorter set, but the vibes were immaculate and smoothly paved the way for their old tourmates.
THRICE
I was very much looking forward to this set, having missed Thrice the last time they passed through Connecticut in 2023. The Irvine, California four-piece blended grunge and post-hardcore, bringing a heavier tone to the evening. While pop punk songs can bring energy to a room, the same can be said for Thrice’s incredible musicianship and stage presence. Still replaying this one in my head.
TAKING BACK SUNDAY
Frontman Adam Lazzara has taken his share of criticism over the years for his vocals at Taking Back Sunday shows. I have a suspicion that it's perpetuated by the limits of phones trying to capture sound from a PA system, then shared on social media. Ultimately, I find criticism of live vocals a pointless argument.
Live shows are for connecting with fans and introducing your songs to new ones. Replicating a studio mix is what the record is for. And that's where Taking Back Sunday wins out. Lazzara is an undeniable frontman, all mic swings and endless energy, only constrained by his suit. And the band in its entirety delivered a polished, dialed-in performance.
High praise to the stage production team, the lighting was incredible during their set, perhaps one of the best I have seen at The Dome. The crowd sang at full at the volume, all the way through the final songs — the iconic emo anthems “Cute Without the ‘E'" and “MakeDamnSure." The haters can keep their phone recordings. Wallingford got one hell of a performance, and this elder Millennial's heart was full.
TAKING BACK SUNDAY SETLIST
The Dome at Toyota Oakdale Theater, Wallingford, Connecticut (9/23/2026)
What's It Feel Like to Be a Ghost?
Liar (It Takes One to Know One)
Set Phasers to Stun
The One
Error: Operator
You Know How I Do
Tidal Wave
Up Against (Blackout)
You're So Last Summer
Twenty-Twenty Surgery
Flicker, Fade
Divine Intervention
A Decade Under the Influence
Brooklyn (If You See Something, Say Something)
S'Old
My Blue Heaven
Lightbringer
Miami
You Can't Look Back
Cute Without the ‘E'
MakeDamnSure
