I’ve spent the last couple weeks checking out some pop punk out of the Capital Region. The band Anthem for Tomorrow is bringing a ferocious energy and playing their asses off in the area. With a few unique shows coming up at Ophelia’s and a show in Watertown in early summer, make sure to catch them live. 

Who is the best band or artist you’ve seen live?

Adam: Believe it or not, Backstreet Boys at SPAC. Nine-pluswardrobe changes, on stage dancing and singing, all in their late 40s, and it was 97 degrees outside. NO not 98 Degrees. That's those other guys. It was actually a lot of fun. But The Mighty Mighty Bosstones is very very close. 

Dave: My musical interests are so varied. I've seen so many different acts over the years. The group I always come back to is Phish. I know it's nothing like the music we play, but their execution of improvisation will always have me coming back for more. 

Tal: Hands down, Metallica. I’ve seen them around 10 times at this point, and each show is completely different, even on the same tour. Looking forward to seeing them this Fall at the Las Vegas Sphere. 

Jared: It's hard to choose just one show. I've seen a variety of acts across numerous genres and in many different venues. I'll say the Tool show at MVP Arena (Times Union Center at the time) was a great concert. Van Morrison and Robert Plant at Foxwoods were both great shows. Blink-182 at Madison Square Garden is up there as well. I’ve also seen great live performances at places like the old Northern Lights (Upstate Concert Hall) or Valentine's. RIP both of those places. Woodstock ‘99 as a whole was pretty wild, too. New Found Glory is a consistently great live show. 
 

Your sound is predominantly pop punk, but I hear other influences too - for example, there’s an Anthrax like groove in Addicted to Madness off your EP Never Going Back. As a metal guy I really found myself digging the heaviness in your riffs and driving drums. What bands do you guys listen to and how do those influences shape your song writing?

Adam: My dad was a metal head. Metallica, Megadeath, Pantera, Maiden. Metal drumming came easy for me. But discovering pop-punk in 2002 is what changed me. New Found Glory had dropped the “MY FRIENDS OVER YOU” video. I had it on repeat on AOL music on demand. I discovered Pennywise the same way. When I started playing drums, Metal and pop-punk/punk rock was my primary listening, and that’s what I was taught off of. 

Dave: I'm a sucker for a good shuffled playlist. I previously mentioned Phish, so I listen to a lot of that. I'm also a fan of Blink -182, Fall Out Boy and Alkaline Trio. I'm also a big fan of the Pennsylvania based band Punchline. They were on Fueled by Ramen and coming up the same time as Fall Out Boy - They were even touring together - but they sadly never got the same mainstream success, which is a shame because I think they're amazing. When it comes to song writing, I'm sure I'm subconsciously pulling from various inspirations, but I just want to make something as catchy as possible. 

Tal: I’ve been heavily influenced by Metallica, Trivium, Bullet for my Valentine, Killswitch Engage - all of that Metalcore and Thrash metal stuff is where I lean for my influence in writing. 

Jared: I grew up listening to many different musicians and bands and genres. In my teens, I started to listen to punk. Then I heard Blink-182's “Dammit” and I was hooked on pop-punk. Bands like New Found Glory, Sum 41, The Ataris, Midtown, Gob, Unwritten Law, and so many more were huge influences for me. The 90's skater punk scene also influences the hell out of me: Bad Religion, Pennywise, NOFX, Rancid, Millencolin just to name a few. I did get into hard rock and some metal over the years as well.

I’ve seen some pop punk love at Ophelia’s and No Fun, and I know graduation parties are always a big hit. What other venues in the area are you playing at and do you prefer the venues or the chaos of a backyard or graduation party?

Adam: We all just love performing - pouring our all to the crowd. We take great pride in what we do, the songs we write,and the friendship we all have with each other. It's not the venue for me; it's the memories we create for ourselves and hopefully for others. 

Dave: Give us a stage and we'll be there. When Jared and I first started the idea of putting something together, we did it with the goal of being able to play out. There is nothing like that feeling of being able to get on stage and perform these songs we've put so much work into. 

Tal: We’re just out here for a good time and to share our music with people. Doesn’t matter if it’s the stage at the “Empire” (wink wink) or someone’s backyard, we just want to get out there and rock. That said… if you know someone who can get us on stage at Empire Live or Underground, that’s definitely a conquest we’re trying to conquer.

Jared: We have a show coming up at Fritz's Taproom in Schenectady, so that will be a new one for us. We just love to play, so whether it's on a deck or patio in a backyard or up on a stage, we will put all of ourselves into it. We haven't played No Fun yet, but now that youmention it, that would be a good one to get into. We would love to play either Empire Live or Empire Underground as well. Really, any of the great venues we have in this area would be awesome.

One of the pop punk band’s I follow, Ringpop!, plays a lot ofshows in Oneonta and Massachusetts. Have you started branching out into other regions or are you mainly stickingaround the Albany area for now?

Dave: We've spent the last year sticking to the Capital Region. Now, with the release of our first EP, we've begun doing more out reach beyond our home turf. Heading down the Hudson Valley or out to Central New York would be great. 

Tal: We have one gig booked in the Syracuse area, which we’re hoping to finalize in the next few weeks, and a possibility in Lake Placid this spring. 

Jared: As Dave and Tal said, we are trying to extend our reach a little further. Speaking for myself, I would love to see us grow our fan base locally, then branch out from there.  Fortunately for us, we live in a time when you can reach people further away through social media, so we could grow our fan base locally and further away at the same time.  From there, we shall see where we will be playing shows.

You’ve got a Rock vs Rave show coming up April 25th at Ophelia’s. What can fans expect from that night, and what else have you got planned for the spring and early summer?

Adam: They can expect nothing but us being authentic and having fun. We try to put on the best show we can. We use video visualization for more engagement. We may or may not have a video being released. We have big things planned for spring and summer - more gigs, more writing and more releases. 

Dave: We did a rock and rave show last year, and they are a lot of fun. Tal runs Warhead Productions which puts on the event. Because Ophelia's has two stages the music is nonstop all night long. Once a band finishes in the back, a DJ starts playing in the front. And because the DJs and bands all have their own unique styles, anyone who comes out is sure to experience a buffet of sounds. I think we're all excited for the summer, with the hopes of playing and recording as much as possible. 

Jared: Rock vs Rave is a crazy concept. Tal said it would work - and it does.  People will come in for either the bands or the DJs and be drawn to the other while they are there. This next one coming up will be a great one with the Nirvana tribute band and the supporting bands that will be playing with us as well…and of course the DJ's getting everyone wanting to shake their butts, as Dave would say. 

As far as what we have coming up in the spring and summer, we have a festival being finalized for the beginning of June. We have a ton of songs waiting for us to get to them, so we will be working on new material, hopefully recording more. We will also be actively trying to book more shows.

Where can we find more about Anthem for Tomorrow and keep up with your upcoming shows?

Our official website or on the major socials

Instagram

Facebook

No TikTok yet, but that is coming soon. We also have a YouTube channel where you can check out footage from previous shows.