Mayday Parade with Like Roses, Grayscale and Microwave
McMenamins Crystal Ballroom // Portland, OR // May 9, 2025
By Bruna Cucolo
A band that’s been making music for 20 years — that’s something very special. Even more when that’s been your favorite band for maybe that long. The emo/pop punk group Mayday Parade has given many fans the opportunity to grow with them, and that is something to cherish. And now the band is on their Three Cheers for 20 Years tour, celebrating their music and the connection they’ve created with said fans through their music.
In the span of two months, they’ll have 33 stops where their songs from the past two decades are played. Supporting them are Like Roses, Grayscale and Microwave. On May 9 the four musical groups played McMenamins Crystal Ballroom in Portland, OR. The night was, well, emotional.
The three openers were a great fit altogether for this tour. Like Roses, opening the night, had the crowd in their feels from upbeat songs to a “sad song for the bitches,” setting the tone for the rest of the sets. Grayscale was next with tunes people can dance to such as “Dirty Bombs” then slowing it down with “Fever Dream” and ending with a newer song “Not Afraid to Die.” And during Microwave, the band pulled out an acoustic guitar for a couple songs and played some bangers, too. Everyone cheered for them of course.
An interview with Mayday Parade from many years ago played on two screens at the back of the stage. It was a way to reminisce right away with the band. Once on stage, though, they opened their set with a song from their latest EP, ‘Sweet.’ After that, everyone in the venue traveled back in time to 2006 with ‘Tales Told By Dead Friends’ followed by their 2007 album ‘A Lesson In Romantics’ and so on. Like a journey through time, fans got to go through the band’s musical history together, a very nostalgic experience.
Especially during this tour, there is a lot to take in when attending — you get to hear, in all honesty, some very sad songs live and sing along to them, you may feel the way you felt when these songs first came out years ago, you make a new memory in the moment. The energy in the room is so powerful that you’re crying not only because of the heartbreaking songs but also from the joy of being there with strangers all around you who feel like friends, you’re all there for the same reason. It’s euphoric, the feeling of a band that’s impacted you and the music you listen to standing right in front of your eyes and they’re playing songs that shaped parts of who you are today. That’s magical.
Exciting. Moving. Energizing. Emotional. Some words to describe a Mayday Parade concert, specifically this tour. If you’re a fan of theirs, you absolutely cannot miss their show. They’re about halfway through this memorable tour, so it’s not too late to see them live. Tickets can be purchased here. Then maybe when you’re alone, you’ll think of them.
