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See the Photos! ADTR, Yellowcard, and The Wonder Years at Toyota Arena

by Steve Brazill

A Day To Remember

I’ve always wondered, who the person is with the job of naming a concert tour. Way back when, bands went on tour to support an album, meaning to get people to buy their album, so the tours were named after the latest album. In 2025, that just isn’t the case anymore. Today we get fun names, like AC / DC’s “Power Up Tour, Nine Inch Nails “The Peel It Back Tour”, or Rush’s “Fifty Something” Tour. Sometimes, the name immediately gives us an impression of what we can expect, while other times it seems to have been an afterthought.

I bring this up because A Day To Remember brought their “Maximum Fun Tour” to Toyota Arena in Ontario this past Wednesday, and it may be the most accurate name out there. This show has everything from confetti and toilet paper, to pyro and a basketball competition between sides of the audience, and there is simply no question that the band is having a blast on stage. Oh yeah, and they have audience members on stage.

The night opened with The Wonder Years, followed by Yellowcard, and I will touch on those performances in a bit, but I really need to get you to understand just how fun this show is, and I will mostly do that with the huge gallery of photos at the end of this post.

But let me start with vocalist Jeremy McKinnon…. Jeremy is, and I don’t say this lightly, one of the absolute best frontmen working today. Not only is he just an amazing vocalist – and on songs like “If It Means a Lot to You” he shows what a talent he is – but he leads an entire arena through an emotional roller coaster. To put it simply, I have seen a lot of artists perform live, but Jeremey seems to get better every damn show, both vocally and performance-wise, which is hard when you’re already at the top of the game.

Next up, let’s talk about guitarist Neil Westfall. I love live music, and let’s be honest here, some bands are just tighter musicians than others. I’m not saying that always matters, just that it’s reality. Well, I can’t figure out why I don’t hear more people talking about how damn good Neil is. Musically, I would put him up against any other player out there. Seriously, he’s that good – one of the best musicians playing today. Go see this band live, and you’ll quickly realize that the entire band cares as much about their music as you do. It’s beautiful to watch.

Kevin Skaff is, as he said to me Wednesday night, mysterious. I don’t understand how someone can be having this fun on stage, literally smiling the entire set, and play this good. It’s just insane. Again, and before some emails me to say “but I love band (insert your band name here)”, yes, there are a ton of great bands out there. I am not trying to take away from any other band here, but ADTR just brings it better than most, and Kevin “Effin” Skaff is part of the reason. He is clearly having “Maximum Fun”.

Alex Shelnutt is a hero to me. This guy…. I have had conversations with Alex where the main take away for me is how much he cares about his performances. My favorite subject to photograph is drummers. I’m not sure why, but I just love trying to capture the energy of a drummer. That said, it’s not always easy…. they can be way up high, and hidden behind the drum kit, and in fact Alex has been a challenge for me over the years, for just those reasons. But this new tour has such great lighting, and a great stage setup, that I finally got images of this amazing musician I am happy with. I know everyone at shows tends to watch the front of the stage, but if you go to an ADTR show, take some time to appreciate what Alex is doing, because it’s a clinic.

Lastly, I want to mention touring bassist Bobby Lynge. Sometimes, when a band has a touring member, someone that isn’t officially part of the band, that person stays out of the limelight. Not Bobby. He is every bit as involved in bringing the show to the audience as anyone else on stage, and I truly enjoy watching him perform.

The Maximun Fun tour is on the road through late November, and if they’re coming to a venue near you just go. It’s a blast of a show. Oh yeah, I do want to throw out a thank you to ADTR’s management at Fly South Music Group. I can’t say enough how much I appreciate you.

Setlist

The Downfall of Us All
I’m Made of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of?
Right Back at It Again
Bad Blood
Paranoia
Miracle
Mr. Highway’s Thinking About the End
All My Friends
Have Faith in Me
Flowers
Space Jam (Quad City DJ’s song)
LeBron
It’s Complicated
The Plot to Bomb the Panhandle
Closer Than You Think
If It Means a Lot to You
All I Want
All Signs Point to Lauderdale

Yellowcard

I was so excited to see and photograph these guys again! I just photographed them a week ago at When We Were Young Fest and they were amazing! You can see all the WWWY Fest photos here. Yellowcard has long been a fave of mine live. They combine a huge set of hits with a great stage show, and the band doesn’t let up. Through 15 songs they hit everything you’d want to hear.

The highlights for me were obviously “Ocean Avenue” and “Better Days”, but the entire set was awesome. Vocalist Ryan Key is born to do this, and he can get some serious air by the way. Then you have Sean Mackin on violin, and I LOVE a violin in rock.

Rounding out the band is Ryan Mendez on lead guitar, Josh Portman handling bass, and touring musician Jimmy Brunkvist (from Like Torches) on drums.

It has been awesome over the last few week to get to capture these guys live twice, once outdoors, and then indoors on Wednesday. The feel is so different between the two venues, yet the same. Such a great band.

Setlist

Top Gun Anthem (Harold Faltermeyer & Steve Stevens cover)
Only One
Lights and Sounds
Breathing
honestly i
Believe
Way Away
Light Up the Sky
Bedroom Posters
Keeper
For You, and Your Denial
Awakening
With You Around
Better Days
Ocean Avenue

The Wonder Years

Kicking off the night was The Wonder Years, and through an 11 song set they set the tone of the night. This band was a such a great opener I wished they had been able to play longer. The highlight of their set for me might have been “GODDAMNITALL”, but closing out with “Came Out Swinging” is up there.

If you can catch these guys at a venue near you plan on getting there early so you don’t miss them as an opener. In fact, They are a great example of why you should always catch the early bands.