Lance Pettis
Oct 19, 2026
The band's October 16 stop at Arizona Financial Theatre brought Mascherino back into the fold, celebrating their 20-year magnum opus record, "Louder Now."
Taking Back Sunday brought a show to the Arizona Financial Theater on October 16th that made you want to tell all your friends about it. Celebrating their 20th anniversary of Louder Now, they brought supporting acts Saves The Day, and Thrice to join the celebration.
With such a stacked lineup, every Alt/Emo fan night was already made from the start, and then came the headlining act to take the stage. As no one knew exactly what they were bringing set list-wise to Arizona, only those who could put the pieces together recognized they could only start with one song, and that’s the opening to Louder Now's “What’s It Feels Like to Be a Ghost,” and sure enough, you hear the guitars come in, and then the lights and crowd go wild.
Adam Lazzara, frontman and singer, takes the stage and is already giving what the fans crave. Just when you think you are on track to hear the album front to back, they throw in a surprise song, “Set Phasers to Stun” and then it dawns on you: you’re not only watching the 20th anniversary show but also a celebration of the years of Taking Back Sunday, which most likely gave goosebumps to those who have been there every step of the way.
What made this tour even more special was the return of guitarist and vocalist Fred Mascherino, reuniting with Adam Lazzara, John Nolan, and Shaun Cooper. With touring musicians like Nathan Cogan Post and Mitch Register, the band delivered what I would say to be such a powerful, energetic set that we have seen before, but this time it felt more like them; adding Fred back into the mix really completed what we all have been longing for.
Having two such powerful backing vocalists and guitarists coming together as one and really putting their all into these songs definitely showed. Tracks like “Liar (It Takes One to Know One),” “A Decade Under the Influence,” “Cute Without The E,” and “You’re So Last Summer” had fans singing along, while the band's strong chemistry made the performance feel so alive.
Of course, no Taking Back Sunday show would be complete without Adam Lazzara swinging the mic through the air, tuning every song into a spectacle of personality, movement, and absolute fun! The unpredictable mic swings, and what I would say some Michael Jackson-inspired movement, and constant interaction with the crowd kept the energy high from beginning to end.
Two decades after Louder Now truly helped shape a generation of alternative music, Taking Back Sunday proved that the album's impact and the band's consistent ability to put on an unforgettable show hasn’t and will never fade. As every show does, it ended with a night filled with memories and why these songs still mean so much.