Back in the early 2000s, SoCal rockers Something Corporate were amassing pop-punk fans at Warped Tour and hitting the road relentlessly. Now, after taking a long break, they’ve returned for the Out of Office Tour with their original lineup: lead singer Andrew McMahon, guitarists Josh Partington and William Tell, bassist Kevin “Clutch” Page, and drummer Brian Ireland. The 21-date tour marks this lineup’s first full run of shows since 2004, with their biggest stage production to date and some of the largest audiences of the band’s career. But they’re just grateful for the opportunity to play together again in a full-circle moment.
“We want everyone to know that this means everything to us and we are so appreciative,” Ireland tells Rolling Stone. The entire band was surprised by how feverishly fans at their sold-out show at Pier 17 in New York welcomed their return, even after a crazy turnout for their set at nostalgic pop-punk music festival When We Were Young. “When everything went on sale, I remember thinking to myself, nobody’s going to come see this thing,” Partington says. But the fans have exceeded their expectations, selling out shows and being willing to scream the lyrics that soundtracked their youth.
“We started this thing that is bigger than I think any of us expected it was going to be,” McMahon says. But he credits a lot of it to the positive energy the band is putting forth. “It’s such a loving environment,” he says. Tell couldn’t agree more: “When we started getting into a room and all five of us playing together, it was so like, oh, there’s something here. There’s something that’s greater than the sum of its parts.”
Words by Maya Georgi
Photos by Griffin Lotz
POND Creative*