Although the Ford Amphitheater has limited the bands that are allowed to play at the outdoor venue, the crowd will certainly be rocked tonight by the emo-screamo tunes of Taking Back Sunday.

The band formed in 2001 with Eddie Reyes’ guitar skills meeting up with Adam Lazzara’s vocals, and the initial lineup was ready to record. Its debut album, Tell All Your Friends, was released in March 2002 and was well-received by the picky MTV crowd. The success of the album afforded the band the opportunity to tour with more well-known groups such as The Used, Saves the Day and Green Day.

Where You Want To Be was Taking Back Sunday’s second album, released in July 2004 on Victory Records. The album’s first single, “A Decade Under the Influence,” was put into heavy rotation on rock stations. The album’s success led to the band being named 2004’s “No. 1 Rising Star” by both Fuse and Maxim.

As the band emerged into the scene, it was able to snag a spot on”the hit summer soundtrack to Spider-Man 2 with the track, “This Photograph is Proof (I Know You Know).”

Taking Back Sunday’s sound is a mix of Lazzara’s howling vocals and thoughtful lyrics and Reyes’ anxious guitar riffs. The Warped Tour veterans’ sound could be compared to that of The Used’s latest album or punk-pop bands such as Simple Plan and Sum 41. However, Taking Back Sunday breaks apart from the pack with a fresh sincerity that is most apparent on slower tracks like “New American Classic” and “…Slowdance on the Inside.” Lazzara’s last yelp on “A Decade Under the Influence” is bone-chillingly earnest and atypical of the standard emo track.

Taking Back Sunday played in the Tampa area in December 2004 as part of radio station 97X’s annual The Next Big Thing concert. The concert sold out and drew swarms of teens and twenty-somethings to listen to the band’s signature screamo tracks.

The show will open with newcomers The Format and Anberlin. The indie-rock duo of Sam Means and Nate Ruess forms The Format’s crisp sound. Their debut album, Interventions and Lullabies was released on Atlantic Records in 2003. Their calm sound will be a welcome opening to the show’s blasting energy.

Anberlin has created quite a following since the 2003 release of their debut album Blueprints for the Black Market and their newest release of Never Take Friendship Personal this past February, both on Tooth & Nail Records. The local band-done-good has toured with such acts as My Chemical Romance and Story of the Year. Anberlin’s energetic sound is the perfect prep before Taking Back Sunday takes the stage.

The tour kicked off on April 7 and will continue through the summer. After Taking Back Sunday’s show tonight, the band will finish the rest of the tour with fellow emo-rockers Jimmy Eat World.

The show starts at 7p.m. and is sponsored by 97X. Tickets are $17.50.

Arleen Spenceley contributed to this report.