The death of founding member Chad Gilbert has forced New Found Glory to cancel their scheduled appearance at Aftershock Festival in Sacramento, which was due to start next week. The band have opted to perform their first live shows instead at EPCOT inside Walt Disney World Resort.
Gilbert, a devoted Disney fan, died six months after announcing he was battling brain cancer, and now the band is mourning him. The band and his wife, Lisa Cimorelli, announced his death on Sept. 20. He had first been told he had liver cancer in 2021.
The group took to social media to thank its listeners for their backing, and in doing so posted a message that included these words: “Seeing how deeply he touched so many lives means everything to us, and we know he would be so proud to see it,”.
“To give ourselves time to process and grieve, we have made the decision to cancel our upcoming appearance at Aftershock Festival,” the band continued. “We rarely cancel shows but this felt needed.”
Gilbert’s Death and the Cancellation
On Sept. 20, New Found Glory and Cimorelli announced Gilbert’s death. Six months earlier, he had revealed that he was battling brain cancer. He was first diagnosed with liver cancer in 2021.
The band rarely cancels shows, they noted, but this felt necessary. “Anyone who knew Chad knew that he was a massive Disney fan,” the statement read. “Our shows at EPCOT were dates he was so excited for and he was actively planning to be on stage with us there.”
Gilbert had worked with his bandmates on the set lists and was “practicing as much as possible to be ready.” The band added that because of how much he wanted to play these shows, taking the stage at EPCOT feels like the right way to honor him, and what he would want them to do.
They announced their EPCOT sets ahead of time, they said, which is why they believe it’s only fitting to share them now as they prepare to play in his memory. That was always their plan from the start, they explained.
The Set List
The set list for the upcoming shows has been revealed by the band, and it features fan favorites including “My Friends Over You,” “Dressed to Kill,” and “Hit and Miss,” among other tracks.
Most of the band’s songs, including pop-punk staples “My Friends Over You” and “Head on Collision.” He also offered guest vocals on a track from Fall Out Boy’s From Under the Cork Tree were written by Gilbert, along with guitar riffs on the band’s 2007 song, “The Take Over, the Breaks Over.”.
| Song | Connection to Gilbert |
|---|---|
| “My Friends Over You” | Written by Gilbert, a staple of New Found Glory’s catalog |
| “Dressed to Kill” | Fan favorite |
| “Hit and Miss” | Fan favorite |
| “Head on Collision” | Written by Gilbert, a pop-punk staple |
| “The Take Over, the Breaks Over” | Guitar riffs contributed by Gilbert |
The Band’s Statement on Gilbert
The band’s statement announcing Gilbert’s death described him as an invaluable part of New Found Glory and the pop-punk scene in the early aughts. He founded the band alongside Jordan Pundik, Ian Grushka, and Stephen Klein in 1997 at just 17 years old.
“Through more than a dozen albums, endless tours around the world, and more accolades than we ever could have imagined, Chad challenged all of us to grow as musicians, performers, and human beings,” his bandmates wrote. “His influence will always be part of New Found Glory and his spirit will be felt on every stage we stand on, with every note we play.”
The band’s statement on the cancellation echoed that sentiment. “Every note we play and every word you sing at EPCOT is for Chad,” they wrote. “Thank you all for wrapping us in so much love, understanding, and support as we come together to honor his legacy.”
The EPCOT Shows as a Tribute
The song pays tribute to a person who spent his entire career building friendships. Gilbert served as a founding member, lead guitarist, and the main songwriter for a group that helped shape pop-punk during the early 2000s.
The track list takes its songs straight from what he wrote and cherished, with “My Friends Over You,” “Dressed to Kill,” and “Hit and Miss,” along with many others, standing among the selections that fans hold dear for their connection to his voice.
The band decided to pay tribute to Gilbert by playing at EPCOT, because that’s where he would have wanted to be honored. He was an enormous Disney fan, and performing there feels like the fitting way to remember him, exactly how he would want it done.
Shows rarely get canceled by the band, but this one did feel necessary. They are taking time to process and grieve, and they are doing it on their own terms.
The Legacy of Chad Gilbert
Gilbert’s influence runs through New Found Glory’s entire catalog. He wrote most of the band’s songs, including pop-punk staples “My Friends Over You” and “Head on Collision.”
He also left his mark on other bands. He offered guest vocals on a track from Fall Out Boy’s From Under the Cork Tree and guitar riffs on the band’s 2007 song, “The Take Over, the Breaks Over.”
New Found Glory said Gilbert was a vital member of the group and of the pop-punk scene during the early 2000s. The band was formed by him along with Jordan Pundik, Ian Grushka, and Stephen Klein in 1997, when he was only 17 years old.
New Found Glory has said his influence will always remain part of the band, and that his spirit will be felt on every stage they stand upon, with every note they play.
Source material: “New Found Glory Announce EPCOT Shows in Honor of ‘Massive Disney Fan’ Chad Gilbert,” Rolling Stone.
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