5 Lessons Bayside Learned From Being a Band for 25 Years

Being in a band for 25 years teaches you a lot of things and here are five lessons Bayside bassist Nick Ghanbarian would like to share with everyone.

Even if you’re not in a band, some of these lessons can apply to any hard-working individual in many facets of work and daily life.

But first…

What You Need to Know About Bayside

From: New York City

First Album: Sirens and Condolences (2004)

Newest Album: There Are Worse Things Than Being Alive (2024)

Emo icons Bayside formed in late 2000 and quickly cut a five-song demo that year. It attracted attention from record label Dying Wish, who put out the band’s first official release — the 2001 EP Long Stories Short. A split with Name Taken followed in 2003 and, one year later, Bayside’s Sirens and Condolences debut was released on Victory.

Four more LPs were issued on that label home and then came the one-off on Wind-up (2011’s Killing Time). And starting with Cult (2014), Bayside have been with Hopeless ever since.

Now, on their 25th anniversary tour, Bayside are celebrating their entire catalog with three tour legs featuring two-night stays at each stop. The setlists will differ on those two nights, focusing on songs from different albums.

All those dates can be seen further down the page.

Now, let’s get to those lessons learned the last quarter century!

5 Lessons Bayside Learned From Being a Band for 25 Years

1. At the end of a hard days work, there is another hard day of work waiting.

We have never been handed anything as a band. Quite literally it has been one bout of hard luck after another, even 25 years in. It has taught us, that we need tough skin and to persevere.

2. It’s okay to slow down.

Earlier in our career we just wanted to go out there and play our songs as aggressively and fast as possible. When we look back at old videos of ourselves, we realized the songs we wrote didn’t sound right when we played them live. We learned to slow down and be more conscientious while we are on stage, so that the songs could breathe a bit more.

3. Enjoy yourself.

Because of the “work now, play later” mentality we have, we realized that we haven’t really had time to settle into what we have accomplished over the course of 25 years. This year we get to reflect and realíze that we have been in peoples lives for decades and we are lucky that people care about us as much as they do.

4. Grow musically, but keep our sound familiar.

It’s the easiest thing for a band to just do a 180 and change the way they sound and say that their sound is “growing.” We have taken the harder route, we actually maintain the identity of our band, and challenge ourselves to build upon it.

There are no left turns in our sound that might alienate a listener who has been with us for 20 years. We want to sound like Bayside, but a better version of Bayside with every album.

5. Don’t overpack.

You can always do laundry or go shopping on tour. You do not need to pack your luggage as if you need a month’s worth of underwear.

You’re not going on a safari, you’re just going to Cleveland. They do have stores in Cleveland.

Bayside 2025 Tour Dates

See all of Bayside’s 25th anniversary tour dates below and get tickets at the band’s website.

** – with Sincere Engineer
% – with Smoking Popes
# – with The Sleeping

Night 1: songs from Sirens and Condolences, Bayside, The Walking Wounded and Shudder
Night 2: songs from Killing Time, Cult, Vacancy, Interrobang and There Are Worse Things Thing Being Alive

April 07 – Chicago, Ill. @ House of Blues **
April 09 – Detroit, Mich. @ Majestic Theatre **
April 10 – Detroit, Mich. @ Majestic Theatre **
June 06 – Denver, Colo. @ Summit Theater %
June 07 – Denver, Colo. @ Summit Theater %
June 08 – Salt Lake City, Utah @ The Depot %
June 09 – Salt Lake City, Utah @ The Depot %
June 11 – Seattle, Wash. @ The Showbox %
June 12 – Seattle, Wash. @ The Showbox %
June 13 – Portland, Ore. @ Revolution Hall %
June 14 – Portland, Ore. @ Revolution Hall %
June 16 – San Francisco, Calif. @ August Hall %
June 17 – San Francisco, Calif. @ August Hall %
June 19 – Anaheim, Calif. @ House of Blues %
June 20 – Anaheim, Calif. @ House of Blues %
June 21 – Las Vegas, Nev. @ Fremont Country Club %
June 22 – Las Vegas, Nev. @ Fremont Country Club %
June 24 – Mesa, Ariz. @ The Nile %
June 25 – Mesa, Ariz. @ The Nile %
June 27 – Austin, Texas @ Emo’s %
June 28 – Austin, Texas @ Emo’s %
Sept. 06 – Lake Buena Vista, Fla. @ House of Blues #
Sept. 07 – Lake Buena Vista, Fla. @ House of Blues #
Sept. 08 – Atlanta, Ga. @ The Masquerade (Hell) #
Sept. 09 – Atlanta, Ga. @ The Masquerade (Hell) #
Sept. 11 – Nashville, Tenn. @ Main Stage at Eastside Bowl #
Sept. 12 – Nashville, Tenn. @ Main Stage at Eastside Bowl #
Sept. 13 – Charlotte, N.C. @ The Underground #
Sept. 14 – Charlotte, N.C. @ The Underground #
Sept. 16 – Philadelphia, Penn. @ Brooklyn Bowl #
Sept. 17 – Philadelphia, Penn. @ Brooklyn Bowl #
Sept. 19 – New York, N.Y. @ Irving Plaza #
Sept. 20 – New York, N.Y. @ Irving Plaza #
Sept. 21 – Boston, Mass. @ Paradise Rock Club #
Sept. 22 – Boston, Mass. @ Paradise Rock Club #
Sept. 24 – Asbury Park, N.J. @ Stone Pony #
Sept. 25 – Asbury Park, N.J. @ Stone Pony #
Sept. 26 – Huntington, N.Y. @ The Paramount #