Mayday Parade – August 8, 2026 – Downtown Rocks Summer Concert Series at Fremont Street Experience

The first time I saw Mayday Parade was in 2017 at a venue that no longer exists. It was the A Lesson in Romantics 10th Anniversary Tour. I remember going to the show alone because I had no friends who were into them (okay, let’s face it, I just had no friends). I tried to meet the band after the show because I wanted to tell them how much their music meant to me, but I couldn’t make it happen that night.

While I still have never met them in person, I had the opportunity to email them some questions leading up to their most recent performance on Fremont Street for the Downtown Rocks Summer Concert Series. Jeremy Lenzo (the bass player) provided the below responses:

Cyn: For your band, and other bands from the early 00’s era that are still active today, what do you think is the secret to longevity?

Jeremy: I can’t speak for other bands, but for Mayday Parade, I will say that we all still enjoy what we do and who we are doing it with. These guys are my best friends. We have known each other since high school, and still enjoy being around each other. I love getting to go out and play shows with them.

Cyn: After 21 years as a band, what has been your biggest milestone?

Jeremy: I guess, musically, this latest trilogy was a big milestone. It took a lot of work, but we were able to get everything out in the timeframe we were hoping for. It was something we hadn’t done before, and we didn’t realize just how much it was going to take from us to complete. Outside of that, I would say our last US headline tour was a big milestone for us. We moved up to some larger venues for the first time, and the shows sold out, which was awesome, and allows us to plan for bigger production elements in the future.

Cyn: Do you have a mantra or anything that has been a constant over the years?

Jeremy: The closest we have is our pre-show ritual. Alex leads it, and at the end, we all yell “Bangarang!” I do have to clarify we took “Bangarang” from the movie Hook because it’s something the Lost Boys chant as their battle cry. We have always done that from the beginning, and it has stuck with us.

Cyn: What positive or negative changes to the music industry have you seen or experienced over the years, and how has it shaped you as a band?

Jeremy: I mean, the music industry is always changing. We were lucky enough to have good deals without labels, but I know of other artists who got caught in 360 deals, which ended up burning the artist. To clarify what that is, normally a label gets a cut of your record since they front the money for it. Once it recoups, that money then goes to the artist. With a 360 deal, not only does the label get a cut of your record, but they also get a cut of your touring and merchandise money, which is basically the lifeblood of an artist. So that’s a pretty shitty deal and something that traps a lot of new artists.

Cyn: What are your current sources of inspiration?

Jeremy: Musically, we draw inspiration from everywhere. As a band, we all write, so you have five individuals with individual music tastes working on music. I don’t think at this point there is one main artist we are collectively inspired by. I will say when we started, Taking Back Sunday was a band we all looked to for inspiration.

Cyn: Is there a song of yours that you love but never play live? Conversely, are there any songs you don’t enjoy playing so much but the fans love?

Jeremy: I love a lot of music from our Black Lines record that we will probably never play. Fans just didn’t connect with that record, but personally, I love it. A song I don’t enjoy playing, probably Three Cheers For Five Years. It’s not that I don’t like the song; we’ve just played it for a long time at this point.

Cyn: Is there any place in the world you’d love to perform or visit but haven’t yet?

Jeremy: I’d love to perform in China. That is a country we’ve yet to go to, but one that is on my bucket list. The closest we’ve been is a layover in a Beijing airport.

Cyn: Cake or pie? And what kind?

Jeremy: Pie, preferably pot pie lol. I don’t really do sweets.

The show on Fremont Street felt super nostalgic, and it was great also getting to enjoy some of the newer songs. One thing’s for sure; Mayday Parade doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. For now, we’ll say goodbye and send them off with a kiss farewell, but as fans, I feel positive we can expect more to come.