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| Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach performs in Huntington, NY at the Paramount (April 2018) |
Papa Roach's April run was a headliner, which is always welcomed. Given the fact their fans already know to drop everything for a Roach show, and they surely also attracted new faces from their time on the arena tour with A Day To Remember the month before, it's not surprising most of these shows sold out.
For diehards, a headline gig means more time on stage, which translates to more time to party than when the band is forced to hit and quit as an opener. There's nothing more frustrating than when you reach peaks and suddenly have to say goodbye to your favorite so that someone else can take over the night and rule the house!
During the month of April, I caught the band at the Paramount in Long Island, the Wellmont in Northern Jersey, and roadtripped Portland, Maine for the first time. It's a cool town in an area of New England I always thought of as pretty calm and peaceful. I always think of anything north of Massachussetts as a region outdoorsy people choose to reside instead of being part of crazy city life. I would never have guessed a night in Portland would be the first time I'd ever witnessed an actual streetfight. But that's Friday night in 2018 for you. But don't worry, venue security and police were on the scene before it escalated. Luckily though, the rest of the night was all peace and love. Inside the venue was a safe haven, with some parents bringing their kids to experience the good times Papa Roach always brings.
The final stop in April for me was in Rochester, NY. Even though it was mid-April and well after the first day of Spring, I had to battle a mini snow-storm during the drive up and little squalls on my way back downstate. So make sure you always check the weather reports for all the towns on your way to your destination, not just your Point A and Point B! Lesson learned.
Here are a selection photos from that run. You can find the rest on my Flickr here.
