December is brisk and unrelenting, but braving it is easy when the people providing the warmth of community-fueled excitement are inviting you to join them. This exact feeling is what drew 2,500 people to The Story So Far’s sold out show at The Fillmore in Philadelphia this past Sunday night, thousands of fans driven to celebrate the band’s brand new record, I Want To Disappear. The show gave attendees the unique opportunity to experience the album in its near entirety live, covering nine of its ten tracks alongside staples from the band’s past and reminding listeners why The Story So Far remains an irresistible force in modern day pop punk.

The band kicked off the night by jumping straight into the new record with its first single, “Big Blind,” an earworm of bubbly sounds that bounced from person to person and motivated them to display an overwhelming sense of fulfillment. Having waited over a year to see the track live since its August 2023 release, fans were finally given the opportunity to release their energies through simultaneously shouted lyrics which proved far too big to remain contained in the confines of the venue’s walls. Vocalist Parker Cannon finger pointed his way around the words with the crowd while guitarist Will Levy lifted his instrument and raised a toast to everyone for their spirited display of appreciation for the new record.

“Open it up! Come on, you know what to do,” Parker exclaimed as the opening riff of an old favorite, “High Regard,” signaled the oncoming opportunity to let old frustrations loose. The crowd’s volume boomed with lyrics like “I’m not sorry for anything” and “I’m gonna take back what you took,” their meanings escaping out of everyone with conviction. Parker opened his arms wide as he faced the crowd, absorbing their past resentments as they did his and turned them into reclaimed confidence together.

As if they hit play and let the new album unfold from the beginning, the band returned to new songs by rolling into “All This Time” and “Watch You Go,” letting the first track from the record lead into the second the way they were intended to be heard. This highlighted the powerful and inescapable catchiness of the band’s latest release, the live setting amplifying Parker’s commanding sing-shout that demands for his words to be heard and touring drummer Ross Traver’s vigorously quick hits that call for heads to bop up and down. The amalgamation of upbeat elements made it impossible for fans not to eject themselves above the crowd’s collective pogoing to surf above them.

Experiencing The Story So Far live wasn’t special just because of the band’s ability to inspire the crowd’s uncontainable drive to move; being at this show gave fans the opportunity to watch the band weave their connection with each other as people into their performance. “I know you guys know who’s playing bass for us. That’s my big brother Nick,” Parker declared as he looked to his right to highlight the talent of touring bassist Nik Bruzzese before heading into “Things I Can’t Change.” “Take us out Kev,” he said pointing to guitarist Kevin Geyer who took the reins on carrying us out of “Proper Dose.” These small moments of recognition allowed us to see the individuals behind the performance that was resonating with us so strongly, something that elevated the energy of the room even further.

“Oh sh*t,” Parker muttered as he looked down at the set list and smiled, hinting at the exhilaration of a fan favorite about to transpire. And then it hit us; the iconic opening riff of “Empty Space” that sent him into a spiral of movement and the crowd into a frenzy of finger pointing and impassioned belting. Despite the song’s theme of emotional vacancy, two things stopped the heartache of void right in its tracks: the catharsis of participating in a punchy song and the experience of indulging in that very catharsis surrounded by thousands of others doing exactly the same.

The band’s calmer side of contemplation seeped into the room with “Keep You Around.” Strokes of orange, blue, and green light painted the stage, a series of illuminating swatches pulled directly off the cover of the new record. The question “How will I get through this?” floated up into them and brought the record to colorful life. “Upside Down” was another gentle treasure, red lights twinkling above guitarist and keyboardist Ryan Torf as the soft keys of “Upside Down” gave the floor to mellow reflection. These moments allowed the crowd to breathe in their thoughtfulness, paving the way for a physically charged, whiplash-inducing end to the evening.

“Keep this up,” Parker instructed as the set neared its end, pairing a simultaneous request for us to expel everything we had left with an introduction to the song of the same name. The band kept their own energy up during “Roam” with every member jumping in unison while “Nerve” compelled Parker to relentlessly punch the air to the beat. Before we knew it the band was gone and we were left wanting more before we could consider the end of the evening concluded.

A “one more song” chant enveloped the room, beckoning the band back out to give thanks for everyone’s support that night and every night preceding it over the course of the last 10 years. That’s when the band ripped into “Quicksand” from their very first record, an ode to those that stuck with the band from the very beginning. And we all gave an ode to the band right back, screaming along to a song whose liveliness still lived on. 

As the song came to a close, Parker walked the length of the stage with his hands held high as he clapped for each and every person who made the night, and the release of I Want To Disappear, so special. The rest of the band peered out into the room with expressions of immense gratitude for the very same reason, that feeling immediately returned to the stage with a unanimous cheer from the crowd. This act of appreciation wasn’t just for a job well done, but for providing a space to indulge in the fun of unleashing feelings through lighthearted chaos.

Now when I listen to the record, I’ll get to picture that community of people it significantly resonated with both physically and emotionally — the endless jumping, the wholehearted singing, the radiating satisfaction of finding meaningful experiences to latch onto. Most of all, I’ll be reminded of this: The Story So Far has been, is, and will always be an unshakable force in the world of pop punk. And that’s a world I want to keep living in.