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Chris #2 of Anti-Flag (Photo by Neyda Carasa)

Chris #2 of Anti-Flag (Photo by Neyda Carasa)

Justin Sane of Anti-Flag (Photo by Neyda Carasa)

David McWane of Big D and The Kids Table (Photo by Neyda Carasa)

Ryan O'Connor of Big D and The Kids Table (Photo by Neyda Carasa)

       The “War Sucks, Let’s Party!” Tour made its way to Fort Lauderdale last month with a lineup that included one of the newest bands exploding across the country—Set Your Goals—along with ska band Big D and The Kids Table, and hardcore band Alexisonfire. With headliners Anti-flag, the show brought fans of all different scenes.

       I arrived at Revolution about two hours before doors opened and was amazed at how many kids were already lined up around the building; there were kids with Mohawks, some with Big D shirts and some with black and pink eyeliner. They might have looked different, but every kid had the same thing on their mind: they were about to experience one incredible show.

       I sat down with Big D before the opening act came on and asked singer David MacWane about their goal for this tour.

       “When I was growing up in Boston, and the weather was cold and miserable, I had the Operation Ivy CD in my car, and it just made me feel better,” he said. “I want to do that to kids who come out and see our show, to make them happy, put them in a better mood.”

       As I finished talking to the band, you could hear the screams from inside as Set Your Goals got on stage to open the set with their upbeat and positive music. Set Your Goals is an up-and-coming band from the West Coast, whose name is getting known not only in the good old’ USA, but in the UK as well. Mixing up their set, the California boys played a cover of an Operation Ivy song, which made the crowd go nuts. After the set, singer Jordan Brown told me that the tour has brought every band very close together: “We feel like brothers now,” he said.

       I asked Jordan the question that everybody wants to know, what are your goals for Set Your Goals? Brown responded by saying, “To survive this year! NOTHING CAN STOP US!”

       Soon headliners Anti-Flag, the political punk band that has been going strong for almost 20 years now, hit the stage. I didn’t know much about this band before seeing them live at the 2006 Warped Tour, but was amazed at their energy and have been listening to A New Kind Of Army and Underground Network on repeat ever since. The guys opened up their set with a bang, from giving their opinions of the government to playing a mix of their classics “Kill, Kill, Kill,” and “Drink, Drank, Punk” and their new songs, “The Press Corpse,” and “One Trillion Dollars.”

       Despite the rude and obnoxious security staff that kicked kids out for too much crowd surfing, the show ended with everybody on an adrenaline rush. And when the headliner bands hang out after their set like they’re part of the crowd, you know IT'’S A FREAKIN AWESOME NIGHT!

Email Jamie your thoughts: outloud@outloud.com

Sean Rogan of Big D and The Kids Table (Photo by Neyda Carasa)

Matt Wilson of Set Your Goals with Jamie and Neyda