Uncut Collective Media
Mayday Parade Turn The Van Buren Into a 20-Year Celebration of Community and Catharsis
May 8, 2025 • by Phyoe Thaung
By the time Mayday Parade stepped onto The Van Buren’s stage on May 5, the crowd was already restless with anticipation, the kind that builds when every person in the room has carried these songs through the shifting chapters of their lives.
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They opened with “By the Way” from the Sweet EP, letting the night unfold slowly, not rushing into nostalgia but easing the crowd into what would become a shared experience. “Just Say You’re Not Into It” from Tales Told By Dead Friends followed, the singalongs already swelling.
As the band moved into “Three Cheers for Five Years” and “Jersey” from A Lesson In Romantics, voices rose louder, and it became clear this wasn’t just a victory lap. These songs hadn’t aged—they’d evolved alongside the fans who first embraced them.
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“I’d Hate to Be You When People Find Out What This Song Is About” brought the first real surge. The room shifted—no longer a crowd watching a performance, but a chorus singing back to itself.
The set moved fluidly between eras. “Anywhere but Here” and “Bruised and Scarred” from Anywhere but Here carried into the delicate weight of “Terrible Things” from Valdosta. “Oh Well, Oh Well” from Mayday Parade reignited the room with a fresh surge of energy.
Newer songs stood shoulder to shoulder with the classics. “Ghosts” from Monsters In The Closet, “One of Them Will Destroy the Other” from Black Lines, and “Never Sure” from Sunnyland—which featured a guest appearance by Amy Schmalkuche of Like Roses—proved that Mayday’s recent catalog carries just as much weight.
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It was after that Derek Sanders paused, stepping back from the mic for a moment before speaking. He urged the crowd to let go of the noise outside—the headlines, the stress—and be fully present, just for the night. It wasn’t a speech so much as a quiet rallying cry, a reminder that these shows aren’t just about music but about carving out a rare space where everyone belongs.
Newer songs stood shoulder to shoulder with the classics. “Ghosts” from Monsters In The Closet, “One of Them Will Destroy the Other” from Black Lines, and “Never Sure” from Sunnyland—which featured a guest appearance by Amy Schmalkuche of Like Roses—proved that Mayday’s recent catalog carries just as much weight.
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It was after that Derek Sanders paused, stepping back from the mic for a moment before speaking. He urged the crowd to let go of the noise outside—the headlines, the stress—and be fully present, just for the night. It wasn’t a speech so much as a quiet rallying cry, a reminder that these shows aren’t just about music but about carving out a rare space where everyone belongs.
The encore, closing with “One Man Drinking Games” and “Jamie All Over,” didn’t feel like a finale. It felt like another chapter in a story that refuses to end.
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Mayday Parade didn’t rely on nostalgia to carry the night. They leaned into the trust they’ve built over twenty years—trust that the songs still resonate, and that the community around them doesn’t just endure, it evolves.
