OAKLAND — Attendees didn’t have a chance to take as much as a breath before being shot out of the cannon to launch the explosive Friday night performance by A Day to Remember explosive Friday night set at Oakland Arena. The Florida quartet is in the midst of its ‘Least Anticipated Album Tour,’ also marking the band’s largest Bay Area headlining show to date. The set was a testament to the band’s dedication to delivering a powerful performance without taking itself too seriously.

The opening barrage of “Sticks & Bricks,” “All I Want” and “2nd Sucks” set an immediate tone.

“Our goal in putting together this setlist was fitting the absolute maximum amount of songs as we could into an hour and a half,” vocalist Jeremy McKinnon said. “There’s some long ones and some short ones; just know its the most we could fit.”

The result, a career-spanning set of two dozen songs, perfectly melded the band’s aggressive metalcore roots with its more melodic anthems. The production was relatively simple, with stairs that spanned the entirety of stage and an extended riser at the front, along with a healthy dose of flames, smoke and confetti.

“The pilot light is on,” McKinnon announced before columns of flames shot upward during the bridge of “Miracle.”

A Day to Remember is a master of the metal breakdown, the crescendo of a track where pinpoint drumbeats align with punishing guitar riffs, while still leaving space in between. The band masterfully used the production in the set to convey the power behind those breakdowns, using blasts of pyrotechnics to make the songs feel even bigger.

The band mixed in a few deep cuts that it hasn’t pulled out in a while.

“We used to play this song and everyone would just stare at us, “ McKinnon said about “Violence (Enough is Enough).” “We thought we’d bring it back, but know that the entire future of this song’s existence depends entirely on you.”

McKinnon introduced new fans to the ADTR concert staple “crowdsurfing on a crowd surfer” during “Mindreader,” which is exactly as the name implies, using a crowd surfer as a surfboard. Many attempted, most failed, going against the sarcastic warning of danger from the frontman.

“You can either be safe, or you can go home a legend,” McKinnon said.

“Mindreader” was just one of a couple of songs A Day to Remember played from its most recent album, 2021’s You’re Welcome.

The show was briefly halted and the band left the stage as medics treated an attendee apparently having a seizure in the pit. After a few minutes, all seemed to be OK, and the fan was escorted away to be checked out. McKinnon complimented both venue security and nearby fans for quickly noticing something was wrong and acting. Maybe fittingly, the band jumped right into “Rescue Me” after taking the stage.

There seemed to be some frustration from the band when the show was again halted midway through “My Life For Hire,” when there seemed to be another medical issue that may this time have ended up being a false alarm.

It didn’t take long to regain the momentum and the circle pit grow humungous—nearly the entire arena floor—for new track “Feedback.” It was large enough that fans could comfortably watch the performance from the middle of it. While Oakland Arena may ultimately have been an overambitious venue choice, the crowd held up its end of the bargain. Moshing, hardcore dancing and singing along, fans brought an element of chaos that kept gaining momentum.

A cover of Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone” got a rise out of the crowd. McKinnon, smiling, said he’s fought against playing the song for a decade until new bassist Bobby Lynge said he wanted to put it on the set. The final stretch of show was filled with highlights, including the stunning, fire-laden “Resentment” (the second song from You’re Welcome) and singalong “All Signs Point to Lauderdale.” The band closed its main set with acoustic anthem “If It Means a Lot to You” before returning to the stage to finish with “It’s Complicated” and “The Downfall of Us All.”

Hometown heroes The Story So Far got an impressive rise out of attendees over its 40-minute set.

“We’re The Story So Far and we’re from fucking here,” vocalist Parker Cannon announced.

The band is from Walnut Creek and the opportunity to play at Oakland Arena wasn’t lost on Cannon, who took several moments to soak it all in.

“It’s an honor to play this room, I used to come here with my dad,” he said.

The Story So Far is touring in support of its latest album, I Want to Disappear. The band brought a sound that was melodic but with plenty of punk intensity. Crowd surfers streamed over the barrier from the first notes. Cannon offered a unique energy compared with the other acts, staying at the center of the stage with the mic stand. The set included “Nerve,” “Framework” and “Proper Dose.”

Massachusetts hardcore band Four Year Strong took things to the other end of the spectrum, playing a hard-edged set that pushed the boundaries more toward the heavier side. Vocalists Alan Day and Dan O’Conner traded lyrics back and forth as the band rolled through its eight songs. There wasn’t too much in the way of banter with Four Year Strong focused most on making sure the crowd kept its energy up by encouraging the pit to stay active throughout. The band’s set included tracks like “Brain Pain” and “Get Out of My Head.”

There was more Bay Area representation on the bill as Santa Cruz’s Scowl opened up the show. Despite playing a short set that started early, Scowl proved it’s a force that deservers attention. Frontwoman Kat Moss was engaging, energetic and had a fearsome scream that immediately captured early arrivers. Scowl delivered the truest hardcore punk of the night, with Moss adding a layer of energy and enthusiasm on top of raw power.

Follow writer Mike DeWald at Twitter.com/mike_dewald. Follow photographer Marisela Delgado at Twitter.com/mariseladee and Instagram.com/mariseladee.