As captivating of a notion as it is, rebirth is a tricky endeavor for any band. Not only do you risk alienating a loyal fanbase, but such an undertaking also requires an immense amount of talent to boot. One false move (or one bad album) can bring it all to an end.

It’s fascinating, then, to watch two bands, in Finch and Yellowcard, undergo their own respective renaissances during their current spring tour.

What’s especially peculiar about these revivals is that Finch and Yellowcard share extremely similar career trajectories. Both bands rose to mainstream prominence in the early 2000s thanks in part to massive hit singles. Both bands took extended hiatuses after lukewarmly received follow-ups. Both bands returned to immense fanfare, with Finch being the most recent.

Now, over a decade since their initial breakouts, both bands are touring together and appear to having as much fun as ever. Their stories would almost mirror if it weren’t for their unique individual approaches to resurgence.

Finch unexpectedly reunited in 2012 before (even more) unexpectedly recording a new album that released last year. Back to Oblivion is the official follow-up to 2005’s Say Hello to Sunshine, but it feels like the spiritual successor to their 2002 debut What It Is to Burn. While Back to Oblivion lacks the sharp emo punch of the band’s debut, it certainly makes up for it in urgency. It’s clear that Finch want to rekindle the spark that lit a fire for the band all those years ago.

This current incarnation of the band took the stage in Indianapolis with a great deal of energy. It’s fascinating to watch Finch perform classics like “What It Is to Burn” and “Grey Matter” alongside newer tracks like “Anywhere But Here” and “Two Guns to the Temple”. While the songs lack certain similarities on tape, they feel akin on stage. There’s something nostalgic about their performance, but it also feels like it belongs in the here and now.

Watching Nate Barcalow scream and fall to the ground in an emotional heap, you could almost forget that the vocalist is closer to 30 than 20. It’s somewhat wild watching the band capture a youthful vigor in their performance while playing newer and more mature tracks. Finch has grown up, but they haven’t grown old. What better way to come back than to capitalize on what got you there in the first place.

Two albums into their return to the scene, Yellowcard chose to take a different approach with their recent release, Lift a Sail. Instead of cashing in on another collection of pop punk gold, the band moved to a new label in Razor & Tie and released the most commercial and accessible album of their career.

In case you were wondering, those aren’t bad words. Lift a Sail finds Yellowcard treading new ground and displaying their talents in the most unexpected of ways. To see Yellowcard perform new tracks like “One Bedroom” or “Crash the Gates” is to watch the band in their prime. Truth be told, the band hasn’t sounded this comfortable in their own skin since they returned from hiatus.

Now, with a catalogue of hits too large to fill any single playlist, fans can watch over a decade’s worth of sonic movements play out in real time. Yellowcard still plays “Lights and Sounds” and “Ocean Avenue” with just as much energy and excitement as they did all those years ago, but they sound even more at home when Ryan Key plays the delicate “California” or when the band leads the crowd in singing the chorus of “Make Me So”. When violinist Sean Mackin opens the set with the uplifting “Convocation”, it’s a call to witness the band’s rebirth.

What makes the night so much fun is that both of the band’s audiences seem sold on their corresponding approaches. Fans delight to see the renewed energy of Finch while onlookers rejoice in song to Yellowcard’s new direction. No matter how you slice it, watching these bands embrace the past while forging ahead is a pleasure to watch.

by Kiel Hauck

Kiel Hauck is the editor in chief at It’s All Dead. Over the past decade, he has been a contributor for multiple online and print publications and was most recently an editor at PopMatters. Kiel currently resides in Indianapolis, IN with his wife and their imaginary pet, Hand Dog. You can follow him on Twitter.