New Found Glory Honor Late Guitarist Chad Gilbert at EPCOT Show
Singer Jordan Pundik got choked up as he addressed the crowd about the loss of the band's founding member. New Found Glory Honor Late Guitarist Chad Gilbert at EPCOT Show Spencer Kaufman
New Found Glory honored their late guitarist Chad Gilbert during a performance at Walt Disney’s World’s EPCOT in Orlando, Florida, on Monday, September 28th. The tribute came just a week after the founding band member passed away after a battle with cancer.
The pop-punk band had already been booked to play two shows at EPCOT on Monday and Tuesday as part of the amusement park’s Eat to the Beat concert series during its International Food & Wine Festival. Instead of canceling the shows in the wake of Gilbert’s death, the band decided to play them in his honor.
When New Found Glory took the stage, frontman Jordan Pundik got choked up as he addressed the crowd at EPCOT, telling them, “We lost our brother last week, Chad, and even though he’s not here in body, he’s here in spirit today, in these songs, in our hearts on this stage. And what I do know is he loved his family fiercely, he loved this band fiercely, and he love his fans fiercely. So, with that said, let’s make this a celebration of Chad’s life.”
As an addition tribute, Gilbert’s customized guitar with a Mickey Mouse design was placed on the stage, with flowers on top of the amp next to it.
Prior to the performance, the band posted on Instagram, “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. He had already worked on the setlists with us and was practicing as much as possible to be ready. 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.”
Gilbert died at the young age of 45 on September 20th. Among those who have paid tribute to him is his ex-wife, Paramore singer Hayley Williams, who wrote , “Chad is indeed a legend in the scene and my time connected to him taught me a lot. He introduced me to people that continue to shape my life in beautiful ways, and to music and culture that has made life a lot richer.”
Watch New Found Glory pay tribute to Chad Gilbert, as well as perform their set, at EPCOT in the videos below.
