Mayday Parade – First Avenue – Minneapolis MN – May 15th 2025

Mayday Parade live at First Avenue in Minneapolis Minnesota on May 15th

Review and photos by Jesse McKinney

• Like Roses

Bay Area band Like Roses was the perfect band to start off the night! Their set was packed with high energy and emotion, and the crowd was loving every second of it. I’ll be honest, I never really listened to Like Roses prior to seeing them but I’ve been listening to their latest EP “Stuck” on repeat since! I can’t recommend them enough!

Favorite song of the night: Easy

• Grayscale

Grayscale has been going since 2011, and with the exception of touring bassist Noah Christian, the lineup has been the same since the band started, which I feel is rare these days. I have been a fan of Grayscale for a while now, so I was excited to finally see them live, especially their song “In Violet” off their 2019 album “Nella Vita”. Vocalist Collin Walsh is insane live and sounds just like the recordings! I was not surprised at all when what seemed like every person at First Ave. that night sang along to every lyric to every song. I urge everyone to see Grayscale at least twice in their life. You will enjoy it, I promise.

Favorite song of the night: In Violet

• Microwave

Microwave is another band that before the show, I never really listened to, but after the show they are now on multiple of my Spotify playlists. Microwave is a post-hardcore, emo, indie rock, alt rock (honestly, they can fit into a lot of different genres) band from Atlanta Georgia. Backed by original members, vocalist Nathan Hardy, bass player Tyler Hill and drummer Timothy “Tito” Pittard, Microwave has been going strong since 2012 and after seeing them live it’s easy to see why! You can tell when you see them, they don’t care if they are playing to 10 people or 10,000, they are giving the same high energy performance every show! Make sure to not be late because they start their set with “Mirrors” and it’s a fast paced can’t miss song!

Favorite song of the night: Lighterless

• Mayday Parade

If you have ever been to a Vans Warped Tour before then chances are you’ve seen pop-punk powerhouse Mayday Parade perform. Mayday Parade formed in 2005 and started performing on Warped Tour in 2006 and I even remember them walking around showing people their EP and selling it in the parking lot that summer. I have been to more shows than I can count, and Mayday Parade has some of the most loyal and dedicated fans I have ever seen! Every part of the venue I went to had fans singing every lyric to every song and dancing even if they were waiting in line for a drink. Mayday Parade played a total of 21 songs for their set with songs spanning from their 2007 album “A Lesson In Romantics” all the way to their 2025 EP “Sweet”. 20 years later and Mayday Parade is still putting on an amazing show! Personally, I was most excited to hear “Jersey” which they played earlier in their set and then they capped off the night with “Jamie All Over”.

Favorite song of the night: Jersey