Beloved Northern New Jersey indie rock and folk punk duo The Front Bottoms formally sprung onto the scene in 2006, but the pair- vocalist and guitarist Brian Sella and drummer Mathew Uychich- had been friends and musical collaborators since childhood, penning songs as early as middle school, and performing in high school talent shows and local events, before getting more serious and creating The Front Bottoms upon graduation. The band’s early years were fiercely DIY, self-release early LPs I Hate My Friends and My Grandma vs. Pneumonia in 2008 and 2009, performing all over Jersey, and eventually hitting the road, finding underground buzz at time emo and pop punk was still a dominant force at the mainstream level. It was after signing to local label Bar/None, at the start of the 2010s, a time when that mainstream pop punk began to fade and a more organic, independent, revivalist wave of emo bands emerged, that The Front Bottoms really began to capture wider attention, with fan-favorite albums The Front Bottoms, in 2011, and breakout effort Talon of the Hawk in 2013- an enduring classic of the 2010s, which contains some of the band’s most popular and recognizable songs.
Harboring emotionally resonant, emo-informed delivery and lyrical themes, and an eclectic and quirky style that wavers from indie rock to indie pop, emo to folk rock, punk spirited to pop accessible, the duo quickly gained a cult following at the start of last decade, and inked a deal with tastemaking punk label Fueled By Ramen ahead of 2015’s Back on Top, which kept their quirky charm but added a bit more production polish and layered instrumentation (the pair have always had extra backing players live), and landed on the charts as their most commercially-successful album to date. In the decade since, the group have stayed quite active, touring the world with major artists like Blink-182, performing increasingly larger venues and fests, and going on to release several more great albums and EPs, including 2017’s sonically ambitious LP Going Grey, 2020’s self-reflective and tumultuous In Sickness & In Flames, and most recently, eighth album and return to form, You Are Who You Hang Out With, in 2023.
No strangers to Nashville over the last 15 years, we’ve seen The Front Bottoms play everywhere from tiny crowds at The End, to the biggest stage at Bonnaroo, and when they return to the area once more, Dec. 13 for a special underground performance at The Caverns in nearby Pelham, it’ll be for the sake of nostalgia, celebrating the 10th anniversary of major label breakout Back on Top by playing it in full (along with a second set of favorites). Tickets are still available right here while they last, and Canadian garage punks NOBRO have been tapped to open! We’re thrilled to announced though, that we’re also giving away a pair of tickets to one lucky fan, if you want to try your luck in the entry form below.
As we feel inclined to mention any time we tell you about a show at The Caverns, this venue is one of the most unparalleled concert experiences you can have anywhere, hosting performances underground in a literal cave (see below), and we think it’s always worth the trek from Nashville anytime an artist we love is on the calendar. Preview the lineup and enter to win below.
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The Front Bottoms and NOBRO will perform Saturday, Dec. 13 at The Caverns in Pelham, TN. The show is all ages, begins at 8 p.m. (doors at 7 p.m.), and tickets and camping passes are available to purchase here.