Everyone's Spooky - Mayday Parade and All Time Low at the Sylvee

Last night, two of us made it out to a sold-out show at The Sylvee. A man near the front wore a black shirt that read “Pop Punk Is Not Dead,” and honestly, that pretty much summed up the night.

The Paradox opened with a ton of energy and hilarity. We first discovered their music on Spotify when “Do Me Like That” landed on the Release Radar. Their high-energy jumps and hilarious commentary on the crowd’s costumes—from the broccoli guy to Darth Maul to Buzz Lightyear—were definite highlights. Their sound is classic pop punk, and the anecdote about getting hit by an ex-girlfriend in a Subaru got a big reaction from the audience.

It might’ve been a slightly off night for the group—we were really excited to see them live after getting into their music on Spotify—but the vocals, especially the backup vocals, left something to be desired. Still, it was a fun set that got the crowd moving.

The Cab took the stage next. We were the least familiar with them going in, so we entered their set blind. They came out with an Arkham Asylum backdrop, fully costumed as Harley Quinn, Catwoman, Scarecrow, Two-Face, and The Joker. Alexander DeLeon’s recurring jokes about his Harley Quinn get-up were hysterical—and frankly, a man in pigtails and a tiny skirt might never have sounded so good.

They had the crowd chanting “Kill the Bat!” and tossed signed Batman trading cards into the audience. They absolutely grabbed our attention, and we’ll be digging into their catalog to hear what we’ve clearly been missing. If The Cab is coming to a venue near you—go see them.

After The Cab wrapped up, the Mystery Machine dropped off Scooby and the gang—well, Mayday Parade, dressed as the classic cartoon meddling kids. We got clued into Mayday Parade when songs from their 2025 EP Sweet started dropping this year, and our favorite tracks are featured on Sweet and their second 2025 album Sad.

Mayday Parade sounded fantastic, and their setlist spanned the band’s history. We had a blast singing along to “By The Way” and “Under My Sweater,” and appreciated the backdrop videos that included lyrics for the songs we didn’t know. Our only complaint? Two songs we were really hoping to hear—“Who We Are” and “Promises”—didn’t make the setlist. Oh well, guess we’ll have to catch them again sometime.

All Time Low closed out the night in technicolor. Their stage setup was bright and playful—like they were performing on giant Duplo blocks. The chemistry and energy were palpable, and you could feel it ripple through the crowd. They did a great job spotting costumes, including a baby in the crowd named “Cereal”—or was it “River”? Who knows.

The show was a blast, just like their new album Everyone’s Talking. We had a great time singing along to “Monsters,” “The Weather,” “Oh No!,” “Suckerpunch!” and “Butterflies”—and really just had a freakin’ fantastic time.

The pit at The Sylvee was absolutely packed. We’ve been to other sold-out shows there, but this one felt even fuller. Maybe more folks were clambering to get into the pit. We started at front of house and held our spot all night. We thanked the crew for an amazing show—and my oldest even snagged the setlist from front of house.

All in all, an epic way to spend Halloween. If you get the chance to catch these four bands on tour together—go. Buy the best tickets you can afford. It’s pretty unreal.