[TICKET GIVEAWAY] The Wonder Years and The Little Kruta String Ensemble w/ Kevin Devine | May 14 @ The Caverns

Now an impressive two decades years in, enduring Pennsylvania punks The Wonder Years first formed in 2005, and rose to widespread acclaim with a run of early 2010s efforts and bona fide scene classics The Upsides, Suburbia I’ve Given You All and Now I’m Nothing, and The Greatest Generation. Part of a revivalist movement of punk and emo bands who formed in the 2000s and reclaimed the soul of the scene in the 2010s, The Wonder Years and their peers occupied a niche alternative to the mainstream, overly commercialized, Hot Topic and MySpace emo which dominated the culture in the early to mid-2000s, harnessing the more thoughtful, organic, heartfelt, and earnest style and aesthetic that made the scene so worthwhile to start (a sound which, all these years later, has aged better and endured more than the radio emo of the time, and which The Wonder Years remain perfect flag-bearers of).

Over seven original full-lengths, the band have matured from more melodic hardcore and pop punk leaning influences to incorporate broader alternative rock and emo, enhanced by the intellectual, personal, and conceptual lyrical prowess of unparalleled frontman Dan “Soupy” Campbell, carving a niche as an indie rock rooted thinking man’s punk outfit, and one with a live show that has every ounce of passion and bite found on their fantastic albums. In addition to the more lively and frenetic sound of their full-lengths (the most recent of which, The Hum Goes on Forever, arrived in 2022), The Wonder Years have been releasing more stripped down, orchestral, and deconstructed collections of both new and old songs since 2017, as part of a collection called Burst & Decay, with the first in ’17, Volume II in 2020, and Volume III set to arrive May 9.

In support of their latest release, the modern punk legends will embark on a stripped-down tour (if not fully acoustic, at least much more acoustic than their typical show), backed by orchestral collaborators The Little Kruta String Ensemble (who also appear on Burst & Decay). And for this mellow night of music, the band are headed to the perfectly-suited, intimate, and vibey space of The Caverns in nearby Pelham, TN, a space sure to make this already special tour all the more essential. Beloved indie, folky punk scene staple Kevine Devine will open the show, which comes less than a year after The Wonder Years’ last electric performance in Music City, back in the fall at Marathon Music Works.

As we feel inclined to mention any time we tell you about a show at The Caverns, this venue is one of the most unique 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. Tickets are still available right here while they last, but we’re excited to announce that we’re also giving away a pair of GA tickets and a camping pass (if you’d like to stay on grounds; a convenient option for this venue) to one lucky fan! Preview the lineup and enter below.

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The Wonder Years and the Little Kruta String Ensemble and Kevin Devine will perform Wednesday, May 14 at The Caverns in Pelham, TN. The show is all ages, begins at 8 p.m. (doors at 7 p.m.), and tickets are available to purchase from $78.05.