Just this past weekend, my husband and I trekked up to Madison from Milwaukee to catch Silverstein. I was super excited for this one; the lineup was perfect. Aside from that, the weather was beautiful. The show was going to be at The Sylvee, which is one of my favorite venues to visit—even if this was only my second time. It’s got a nice big area for the pit and moshers, plus a section that surrounds that area in a U-shape around soundboard for those who wanted a good view without the pushing. Then, there’s the balconies—two different levels. Apparently, the VIP spots also come with pizza? I found this out since I ran into a few unexpected friends at the show, and one of them happened to be sitting in the balcony section. Honestly, a slice of pizza at the show? I dig it. More venues need to provide food or snacks if you ask me—I get hungry. 

Anyways, back to the show, first up was Greyhaven. I’ve seen them once, and they were amazing! They were a great act to get the night started, kicking off with high energy. The vocalist jumped around the stage. I didn’t realize that Greyhaven is still a little newer to the music scene in comparison to some of the other bands on the lineup. They don’t have that many songs out, but the ones that they do are bangers. I wish Greyhaven interacted a little more with the crowd, but I get it—openers have less play time and talking takes away from the music. 

Next up was Broadside. I’ve seen Broadside several times, and I was very excited to see them again. Their vocalist, Ollie, knows how to work a crowd. He sported a different look than previous shows I’ve seen him at. The glasses were new, but they worked for him. I’m slightly salty with them for not playing “Coffee Talk,” which is one of their best bangers. They did play “One Last Time,” which is another one of my favorites, so I did appreciate that at least. I knew several people at the show who had told me they had only recently discovered their music, and it was their first time seeing them live. Broadside is growing, and I’m excited to see where their journey goes.

The final opener to take the stage was Real Friends. Real Friends are my absolute favorite band ever. Anyone who knows me knows this—I literally have a tattoo inspired by them on my thigh. This is my fourth time photographing them, and I have no intent on stopping anytime soon. I love seeing them switch up their setlists and being so authentic to their fans. During the second song, Cody went down to the barricade to let fans scream into the mic and crowd surfed briefly. It was iconic. 

Then, about halfway through their set, Cody took his microphone into the crowd, where a circle was formed for him. The phone flashlights lit up the area as fans screamed along. It was such a beautiful and pure moment. From the look on Cody’s face to the fans singing, you could really feel the love.

One of my favorite parts of their set was when they played a cover—“The Taste of Ink,” by The Used. It was fun and different, but a highlight for everyone there. Ollie from Broadside even joined Cody on stage for the song. The crowd surfers had been a little sparse this night, but this was the song that really got the ball rolling. People were crowd surfing, and that mosh pit was growing. 

After their set, the room was filling in even more for the main act, Silverstein. The energy levels grew just as the anticipation did. It was empty briefly as people took bar, bathroom, and merch breaks. I even watched a group play a short game of duck, duck, goose which was cute. As the lights dimmed, the room erupted into cheers. The screens on stage lit up as video intros played, and phones were out to record this special montage. Then the band took the stage, and the music kicked in. The crowd went nuts. People sang and waved their hands around. The band was singing and dancing all about the stage. Vocalist Shane Told told us that the night was a time to celebrate 25 years in the making, and they were going to play at least one song from every album. Each new album play was introduced with a new montage on the screens. It was so cool. 

Towards the end of the night, we were blessed with an acoustic song, which was the start of the encore. I love a good acoustic session. A lone fan in the balcony tried to start that phone flashlight moment for the song, but I didn’t see anyone else jump in. I’ve been there before—it’s embarrassing, lol. Oh well. 

Here’s to 25 years of noise, Silverstein—can’t wait to see what comes next!