Hey J-14ers,

Last night I got to check out We The Kings and Mayday Parade when they hit New York City's Highline Ballrooom on the Take Action 2010 Tour. I've seen both bands play live before, but this was even cooler than both those times because the energy on this tour was crazy high.

Mayday Parade stopped by the J-14 offices last week, and they told me they were psyched to play in NYC -- and it showed! Guitarist Alex Garcia stole the show with his solos, and lead singer Derek Sanders managed to quiet an entire room with his acoustic performance. My fave song of the night was "Anywhere But Here" -- not just because I own a pair of Mayday Parade shorts that say that, but because they had me jumping long with all the other fans there.

Their energetic set was the perfect intro for We The Kings. Not only can lead singer Travis Clark tell a mean story -- just ask about his trip through Atlanta if you ever meet him -- I was almost out of breath singing along to "Secret Valentine" and "Check Yes, Juliet." But what really stole the show as their live take on "We'll Be A Dream." It's an epic song on the album, but live it's even more intense. Demi Lovato wasn't in NYC to duet with Travis, but his friend, singer Diane Birch, took the stage with him, and her voice was the perfect compliment for Travis. If you haven't heard of Diane, I'd def check her out -- she's got some sick pipes that are worth a listen.

What do you think of We The Kings and Mayday Parade?

<3,
Emily, J-14 editor