The Wonder Years

What does it take for a band to transform from background noise in the back of a bar to the center of the stage and the core of just one person’s universe?  The Wonder Years played November 4 at Amos Southend in Charlotte, NC, and they were the epic center of many people’s universe with just their thirty minute set.  An enthused fan offered their opinion on the growth of this band, “I’ve been watching The Wonder Years grow for years now, and I can remember the first time I saw them at Lucky’s Pub in Wilmington, NC. It was just me and Soupy (lead singer) singing his lyrics and look at them now, this room was for them”.  Since the release of their album The Upsides in January, The Wonder Years have had an increasing fan base.  This album is about finding the upsides and the good parts out of life when everything and everyone are pushing you further down.  It’s impossible not to get depressed and sad but it’s about not being sad anymore and growing from that lethargic state into balance.  It is not the easiest mission in the world and in Soupy’s words as printed on the album, “Don’t give those (expletive) an inch. Stand your ground every chance you get because everybody deserves a chance to be happy.”  Every song is so personal to every member in this band because it’s about them growing up and memories as fond as riding their bikes down to nineteenth street and the eternal spring that “Logan Circle” brings them.  It’s beautiful watching this band grow and mature into the work they have created today.  As recently as September The Wonder Years have re-released their album The Upsidesand added four new tracks as well as new artwork to the album.  They consist of an acoustic version of “Dynamite Shovel, I Was Scared And I’m Sorry, We Won’t Bury” you, and a new version of “Logan Circle: A New Hope.”  During their set Soupy told the audience about the re-release and how the new songs were about hope  and self satisfaction, he broadly exclaimed, “If you think your life is (explitive) then you can’t depend on other people to change it!”  In their previous edition of “Logan Circle” it portrays the amount of depression and hardships in their lyrics.  The last line of the song is left out of the new version (along with many other adjustments) to give the overall sense of growing and hope. Leaving out the line “I’m just so tired most nights” leaves the audience with just the line “I’m not sad anymore”.  By simply removing this line the entire song transposes to the idea behind the goal of achieving The Upsides. Beyond The Wonder Years three other bands played for one of the last shows of their fall tour; Mountain Man, American Fang and headliner Four Year Strong.  Missing from their fall tour was Comeback Kid, as they were playing a different tour in the United Kingdom.  Overall it was magical show and the amount of energy involved made all the bands much more than just background music, but a memory.