Senses Fail Anaheim

12/6/2024 - House of Blues, Anaheim, CA

December 6, 2024 – Senses Fail and Saves the Day “New Jersey Vs. The World” Tour at House of Blues Anaheim

Senses Fail and Saves the Day hit the road together for their co-headlining “New Jersey Vs. The World” tour, celebrating two milestone albums: the 20th anniversary of Senses Fail’s Let It Enfold You and the 25th anniversary of Saves the Day’s Through Being Cool. Supporting them was the heavy alt-rock band Narrow Head, and tonight’s sold-out show at the House of Blues Anaheim was nothing short of amazing.

The night kicked off with Narrow Head from Houston, Texas. Channeling a '90s grunge aesthetic, the band opened their set with “Yer’ Song.” Their sound blends heavy, alt-indie vibes with shoegaze textures, and the crowd was captivated with Jacob Duarte’s soft, dreamy vocals paired with the band’s crunchy guitar riffs and catchy hooks. Duarte, the band’s remaining original member, commanded the stage and their set was the perfect tone-setter for the evening.

Next up was Saves the Day, the crowd erupted as Chris Conley and the band took the stage.

With a beaming smile, Conley launched into Through Being Cool’s opener, “All-Star Me.” The album, a cornerstone of pop-punk nostalgia, resonated deeply with the audience who sang along to every word of fan favorites like “Shoulder to the Wheel” and “Rocks Tonic Juice Magic.” The band’s high-energy performance brought the album’s youthful angst to life, and they wrapped up their set with the heartfelt “Nightingale” and the fiery closer “Firefly.”

Finally, Senses Fail took the stage, and Buddy Nielsen made an unforgettable entrance, cartwheeling out in glittery flared pants before diving headfirst into Let It Enfold You’s opener, “Tie Her Down.”

The crowd went wild, with waves of crowd surfers appearing almost instantly. Fan favorites like “Buried a Lie” and “Rum Is for Drinking, Not for Burning” had the room in a frenzy, with the audience screaming every lyric back at the band.

Between songs, Buddy charmed the crowd with his banter, covering topics like the Dodgers, New Jersey and being a parent.

After a whirlwind main set, Senses Fail returned for a four-song encore. They tore through classics like “Bloody Romance” and “Calling All Cars,” and the crowd exploded for the ultimate singalong anthem, “Can’t Be Saved.” The night ended on a high note with Chris Conley joining Buddy for a rendition of My Chemical Romance’s “Helena,” a fitting finale to the evening.

Having had the privilege of attending all three SoCal dates of this tour, I can confidently say that each night felt like the perfect culmination of nostalgia, angst, energy, and raw emotion. It was a celebration of two iconic albums and the enduring power of music over the decades.