A thick fog rolled off of the stage at Philadelphia’s Brooklyn Bowl the night four pop punk veterans from Worcester took it by storm. Through the haze peaked three banners that indicated attendees were moments away from fulfilling their craving for the band they came out to see: Four Year Strong. Beneath those three anticipation-inducing words sat a scraggly dog with beady red eyes, the mascot of the band’s new record, analysis paralysis ready to oversee the inevitable chaos of the evening ensue. 

Everything went black and a shuffle of figures made their way across the stage. “It’s happening!” I heard over my shoulder, an eager fan alerting everyone to brace themselves for the band to blast the room with their signature swift riffs and anthemic choruses. The lights flashed on to reveal vocalist and guitarist Alan Day, vocalist and guitarist Dan O’Connor, bassist Joe Weiss, and drummer Jake Massucco. A roaring cheer grew from the crowd and filled every corner of the room for Four Year Strong and the memorable night everyone was about to have because of them.

We didn’t have to wait long to witness the intensity of new Four Year Strong songs live. The first two tracks from the band’s latest record, “aftermath/afterthought” and “bad habit,” marked the start of the set and gave everyone the opportunity to let their anticipation for this moment’s arrival loose. The band jumped and kicked their way across the stage while the crowd hurled already memorized lyrics forward in an explosion of energy that collided at the barricade and shot life into both sides of the room.

Next was an old favorite’s time to shine. The crowd joined forces as everyone bounced in unison to “Heroes Get Remembered, Legends Never Die.” Beams chased riffs, flashes of light and sound quickening alongside each other in a game of catch me if you can. This fueled Alan to catapult himself up, turning his body into a cannonball that flew up and shook the room as soon as his feet hit the stage again. Fans flew up with the help of other fans to take part in the action in their own way, a series of singing crowdsurfers proving their love for the song never died. Thus, it was legendary.

“Find My Way Back” gave longtime fans another opportunity to relish in the staying power of Four Year Strong’s past releases. A striking moment that attested to this unfolded when the band introduced a line with the lyrics “Retrace my steps so I can prove to you that…” and paused to let the crowd take over. In an instant, the room erupted into one mighty voice with the words “I’m alive” radiating from each and every person. It was as if something awakened within them, as if this moment was meant to give fans the opportunity to feel those two exact words to the fullest.

Shifting gears back into new songs, the band welcomed everyone to participate whether they were familiar with them yet or not. Equal parts audacious and infectious, “uncooked” and “daddy of mine” swept everyone up in their sonic confidence and stirred them to unleash their moves. “Run, run, run,” commanded Dan as he called for a giant circle pit to consume the center of the room, its cyclone effortlessly whooshing with running legs and clashing bodies. No matter the song, the crowd never stopped giving it their all.

The same level of energy carried into “Bada Bing! Wit’ a Pipe!” as a conga line of crowdsurfers made its way to the front, bodies toppling over the barricade one by one. They all quickly returned to the madness to continue taking part in it, but not without one group of friends pausing after they landed to scream in excitement for what they just experienced together. Like no time had passed between its 2007 release and that night, the song felt fresh thanks to the crowd’s active participation with fans that still knew every word by heart.

The same went for “Go Down in History,” a song that evoked a strong sense of nostalgia as the band acknowledged everyone that saw it on Warped Tour. With the echo of the song’s beloved gang vocals, memories of being young under the sun flooded back and drove us to move our hands back and forth in perfect symmetry. We all swayed our arms from one side to the other with spirit, reveling in the feel-good fulfillment of a band whose special qualities stood the test of time.

As the evening came to a close, we waited for one final chance to free our need for vibrant and everlasting music when “Wasting Time (Eternal Summer)” arrived. The band called for all of the energy we had left and the crowd answered with enthusiasm. Everyone roused into a frenzy of jumping, screaming, smiling, crowdsurfing, and anything else one could hope for in a room injected with the perfect dose of pop punk reminiscence. The song’s lyrics were fitting in capturing the scene with a resounding shout of the words “I had the time of my life” resonating from person to person. It effortlessly captured the exact feeling everyone in that room felt, the ultimate way to end the evening and mark another notch on the ever growing belt of unforgettable Four Year Strong-related memories.