.::. TAKING BACK SUNDAY .::.

“Taking back Sunday should be preparing for world domination…” Rolling Stone Magazine, Fall 2003 Back in late 2001, Taking Back Sunday’s founding member Eddie Reyes could only imagine what his life would be like just 3 short years later. With new bass player Adam Lazzara moved up from North Carolina to sleep on his couch and share the Top Ramen, the world was theirs for the taking. After finalizing the initial line-up and moving Adam to lead vocals the band recorded a few demos and begged anyone and everyone to have a listen. A record deal with Victory Records followed after their demo circulated to an east coast rep of the label. Their debut album recorded a few short months later, Taking Back Sunday’s TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS hit stores at the end of March 2002. The album sold over 2,300 copies in it’s first week after the band had barely done more than hit up the local Long Island touring circuit, played a few weeks with indie favorites Rival Schools and spent a few weeks as the opener on a multi-band packaging of the Victory Records tour. From there it just started to pick up momentum. “We played our first shows in California and one was at a venue called Chain Reaction in Anaheim. We’re suddenly 3,000 miles from home and there are like 150 kids singing all of the words to our songs. That was when it hit us. What could really happen,” recalls Reyes. Before they knew it, a sold out summer tour showed them and the indie label public the force they were about to become. Soon fans were singing along so fervently that it was sometimes hard to hear the stage sound. They continued touring and started getting dates and shows with more national acts, including Boxcar Racer, The Used and Jimmy Eat World. The cover of Alternative Press and features in Rolling Stone and Spin soon followed. A spring 2003 headlining tour, aptly titled “The Takeover Tour” found the band selling out larger venues in places they had never been. Their show in Toronto, the first time ever in eastern Canada, was moved to the bigger Kool Haus venue and sold 2,300 tickets, selling the club out in advance. They were invited to join the 2003 Warped Tour and started booking television shows, their first European run, summer festivals, etc. Then, a slight change of plans took center stage. Two members decided to leave the band, leaving the future of Taking Back Sunday up in the air. “I didn't know if Taking Back Sunday could go on,” remembers drummer Mark O’Connell. After canceling most of their plans and leaving a dim unanswered feeling of despair over their rabid fan base, they got the call they needed. Fred Mascherino, a friend and member of one of the bands who opened ... historia completa »