By Ben Hockin
Taking Back Sunday supported the launch of D*Coded, a new clothing brand for boys, by having a free show at Macy's Herald Square in New York City yesterday. The middle of the children's floor in a department store isn't necessarily the most logical spot for a rock show, but the five men from TBS made it work. Fans were packed between racks of brand-named clothing to see their favorite band play a seven-song acoustic set while tourists and shoppers were walking by with confused faces wondering how they were ever going to get to the Rocawear T-shirts on the other side of the stage.
The group opened with "New Again" and followed that with "A Decade Under the Influence." The band likes to toss in the Beyoncé lyric, "If you liked it then you should have put a ring on it" at the end of the latter tune, and they revealed that their performance at Bamboozle was recorded and is ready to become a live album — just as long as they can clear the use of the lyric with her people. "It's not like you can just call Beyoncé on her cell phone," lead singer Adam Lazzara told the crowd.
A few songs later, TBS brought down the store with their latest single "Sink Into Me." They then proceeded to have a small and spontaneous question and answer session with the crowd, where they discussed baseball, encouraged everybody to go to church and even gave away a guitar pick to a fan.
After the show, the band took photos and signed autographs with the first 100 fans that bought a D*Coded product. D*Coded is a new clothing brand designed by Maria Hartley, for boys, and was "inspired by popular music, surf, skate, and the emerging active sport culture." You can find D*Coded apparel by looking for their skateboard and skull logo or at any Macy's and Nordstrom's across the country.