NEW FOUND GLORY, GOOD CHARLOTTE, MXPX AND THE MOVIELIFE, E Center, Thursday.
The nearly sold-out audience welcomed drummer Chris Wilson home as his band Good Charlotte played the E Center Thursday night.
This was Wilson's first show in Utah after he joined the band, with guitarist Billy Martin, vocalist Joel Madden, bassist Paul Thomas and guitarist Benji Madden.
And to his delight, the crowd went wild.
The band kicked off its one-hour set with "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous," from the new album "The Young and the Hopeless."
Good Charlotte's brand of melodic punk hit the E Center audience like a splash of cold water and had everyone jumping in their seats, in the aisles and onstage.
Other fan faves included the floor-pounding older tune "Little Things," and a load of newer songs including "Wondering," "The Story of My Old Man," "Girls and Boys" and the Good Charlotte love song, "Riot Girl."
The band was all about fun and games until Joel spoke candidly with the crowd about the disturbing topic of suicide. "We consider you all friends," he told the audience. "We've lost many friends and don't want to lose any more."
With that, the band played the anthemic "Hold On."
The Movielife opened the evening with its chaotic choreography and ear-crashing powerchords.
In fact, vocalist Vinnie Caruana, guitarist Alex Amiruddin, bassist Phil Navetta and drummer Evan Baken, thrashed around the stage more than their crowd-surfing fans in the mosh pits.
All in all, the 20-minute set — which included the bombastic "Hand Grenade" — was a good primer for the rest of the bands.
Next up was MxPx.
The Washington-based trio — bassist/vocalist Mike Herrera, guitarist Tom Wisniewski and drummer Yuri Ruley — pounced onstage to a recording of the Who's "Baba O'Riley." The band cranked out rousing versions of "Chick Magnet," "Party, My House, Be There" and raised the bar with the set capper "Punk Rawk Show."
The members of New Found Glory hit the stage running, already knowing it had to deliver. Following the Movielife, MxPx and Good Charlotte, which played one of the best sets in its career, NFG, as it is known by its fans, maxed-out the energy level and gave the audience a dose of good old-fashioned Southern Florida punk.
Vocalist Jordan Pundik, guitarists Chad Gilbert and Steve Klein, drummer Cyrus Bolooki and bassist Ian Grushka ripped through such eardrum-piercing tunes as "Better Off Dead" and "Sonny."
Pundik spent a lot of time down on the floor, shoving his microphone into the faces of fans who were standing, sweating and slamming in the front row.
The audience, for the most part, was comprised of high-school students who were there for the fun and energy of punk, and all four bands delivered.
— Nicole Warburton contributed to this review.
E-MAIL: scott@desnews.com, nwarburton@desnews.com