New Found Glory has canceled their performance at Aftershock Festival in Sacramento, which was set to begin next week, following the death of bandmate Chad Gilbert. In honor of the founding member and lead guitarist, who was a dedicated Disney fan, the band will play their first live shows at EPCOT in Walt Disney World Resort.
In a statement shared to social media, New Found Glory thanked fans for their support following Gilbert’s death. “Seeing how deeply he touched so many lives means everything to us, and we know he would be so proud to see it,” they wrote.
“To give ourselves time to process and grieve, we have made the decision to cancel our upcoming appearance at Aftershock Festival. We rarely cancel shows but this felt needed,” the band continued. “Anyone who knew Chad knew that he was a massive Disney fan. Our shows at Epcot were dates he was so excited for and he was actively planning to be on stage with us there.”
New Found Glory said that Gilbert had worked with his band members on the set lists and was “practicing as much as possible to be ready.” They added, “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 us to do. Our plan from the beginning with him was to announce our Epcot sets ahead of time, so we feel it’s only appropriate to share them with you now as we prepare to play in his memory.”
Before ending their message, the group set their intention for the upcoming shows: “Every note we play and every word you sing at Epcot is for Chad. Thank you all for wrapping us in so much love, understanding, and support as we come together to honor his legacy.” The band also shared the set list for the upcoming shows, which includes fan favorites “My Friends Over You,” “Dressed to Kill,” “Hit and Miss,” and more.
The Florida pop-punk band and Gilbert’s wife Lisa Cimorelli announced Gilbert’s death on Sept. 20, six months after the guitarist revealed he was battling brain cancer. He was initially diagnosed with liver cancer in 2021.
Since founding the band alongside Jordan Pundik, Ian Grushka, and Stephen Klein in 1997 at just 17 years old, Gilbert became an invaluable part of New Found Glory and the pop-punk scene in the early aughts. Gilbert wrote most of the band’s songs, including pop-punk staples “My Friends Over You” and “Head on Collision.” Elsewhere, 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.”
“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 in a statement announcing his death. “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.”
