First formed by guitarist, Eddie Reyes in 1999, Adam Lazzara, John Nolan, Shaun Cooper and Mark O'Connell of Taking Back Sunday are celebrating their 20-year anniversary as a band with a nation-wide tour. The band is stopping at Albuquerque's Sunshine Theater on April 3 to celebrate with their Albuquerque fans.
20 years ago, when the band first connected, they weren't signed to a record label and were just breaking into the scene, something that guitarist and co-lead vocalist, John Nolan, said he looked at as a step toward to a career playing music.
"Realistically at that point I figured it wouldn't last that long, and hopefully though, it would lead to the next thing that would take me further," Nolan said.
Nolan said one of the biggest changes he has noticed over the past 20 years, is how the bands relationship has evolved with their fans, with the rise in social media. Nolan said he tries to treat his social media in the same way he would if he wasn't in a band. He said he enjoys just talking about whats going on, with the band, but also just posting about normal day-to-day stuff he just wants to put out there.
"To me its a pretty organic process and interacting by what I put out there and what I get back from people," Nolan said. "You kind of get to know certain fans more, and you end up developing a rapport with people that respond the most."
Over the past 20 years, the band has made a lot of memories, making it tough for Nolan to pin his single, most-favorite one down. He mentioned the band's performance at the benefit concert for musician, Sean McGrath who was diagnosed with intestinal cancer, at Irving Plaza in 2002, before the band's release of Tell All Your Friends, as one of the band's memorable milestones.
"That was a really huge moment," Nolan said. "It felt like a big milestone for us, playing in one of our favorite venues in New York City for the first time." He said that after playing alongside a lot of bands that they looked up to and admired at the concert, it seemed as if things shifted gears and really started progressing from there.
Taking Back Sunday has released eight studio albums and twenty singles and has performed at multiple shows on multiple tours. Nolan said one of the biggest challenges the band has faced is being away from home, so consistently, for so long. He said, the band has been fortunate to be able to support each other and work together to find the balance between home and tour life.
"Starting out being kids who have no real responsibilities or connections at home, to all of us having kids and families now for years," Nolan said. "I think that's a difficult transition to make and I think it's still something we have to really work on."
He said what has kept him in the music industry for so long, is his love for making music, the attention, notoriety and money is ephemeral.
"It comes and goes," Nolan said. "The only thing that keeps you going, and I think having any kind of long-term success, is just your love for doing it."
Nolan described that is just what the group does, write songs and make music, something he said the members would do even if they weren't in Taking Back Sunday.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
At the moment, Nolan notes Tidal Wave as being his favorite album of the band's, which he said with recent releases, tends to be the case. "Look Back" off, Tidal Wave, is noted by Nolan as his favorite song to listen to and play live.
On Wednesday fans can expect to hear songs, both old and new, Nolan said incorporating both keeps Taking Back Sunday's shows fresh and exciting.
Nolan said when thinking forward to the next 20 years, he and the band try not to think too far ahead.
"I see us doing the same thing that we do, but hopefully on a bigger scale," Nolan said. "But continuing in the same spirit that we always have."
Shayla Cunico is the culture and music editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @ShaylaCunico.
