Concert Review: A Day To Remember (Coastal Credit Union Music Park)

BY MAUI CABRAL

Some shows stick with you forever and this yet again was... A Day To Remember! The lineup alone promised chaos and emotion, but the way the entire evening unfolded was pure magic.

Boundaries lit the spark first. No easing in, no warm-up, just straight heavy, raw, chest-rattling sound. They poured emotion into every scream, every riff, setting the tone for the night. They were a statement that Raleigh better buckle up.

Then came State Champs, and the whole park bounced. Their set was pure fun, fast, catchy, full of that Warped Tour spirit. Every hook was a singalong, every breakdown had kids flying in the pit. They brought that classic pop punk joy, the kind that makes you feel 16 again no matter how old you are.

And then the nostalgia hit. Yellowcard stepped up, and when that violin rang out, it was like a time machine. People cried, people screamed with arms around their best friends, partners, and even strangers as they belted out songs that raised an entire generation. Hearing those anthems live again wasn’t just entertainment, it was healing, it was memories flooding back in waves.

Finally, the moment we were all waiting for, A Day to Remember. My second time shooting them, and yet it felt brand new. They didn’t just take the stage, they OWNED it. Fire, lights, confetti, smoke. Every second was crafted chaos. Jeremy McKinnon had thousands of us in the palm of his hand, and every lyric, every breakdown felt like a punch of adrenaline. The thrill was nonstop, the emotion impossible to ignore.

Of course couldn’t be a ADTR show without getting my pointed to with a big grin by Jeremy! Forever grateful.

But what made this night unforgettable for me went beyond the music. Out there in the crowd was my older brother, living it up right alongside everyone else, and my fiancée, screaming and singing her lungs out. Two of the most important people in my life, in the same sea of fans, sharing the same chaos and joy I was capturing through my lens. It’s rare when your personal world and your passion collide like that, and in that moment, it hit me..This is bigger than a show, bigger than photography. It’s family, it’s love, it’s memories that’ll live with me forever.

This was emotion. This was thrill. This was pure energy. Raleigh.. Tonight you damn sure did not disappoint! Forever this will be A Day To Remember!

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JOSH "MAUI" CABRAL

Hey! I'm Maui. Originally from Queens, New York, now making Raleigh, NC my new home. I'm a touring photographer and Nomadic Motorcycle Rider, obsessed with seeing the world through different lenses!

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