Brand New, Glassjaw, Crime in Stereo
Oakdale Theater, Wallingford CT
November 25th 2009

On the night before Thanksgiving, Brand New would make a stop in Connecticut on their way to a homecoming show on Long Island. While it would have been easy to mail it in knowing home was less than two hours away, the band put in another great effort, ripping though old favorites as well as the majority of tracks from their latest effort, Daisy.

Just like in Boston a week earlier (read my review here), new songs received only a luke-warm reception, while cuts such as “Jude Law and a Semester Abroad” and “Okay I Believe You but my Tommy Gun Don’t” had the crowd up in arms. The only disappointing aspect of the set was that it was about 15 minutes shorter than their Boston effort and excluded other fan favorites such as “Mixed Tape” and “The Shower Scene.”

The shorter set shouldn’t take away from the fact that Jesse Lacey and Co. were once again first-rate, proving that even when they should have one foot out the door, they’re still one of today’s great live bands.

Brand New, Glassjaw, Thrice, Manchester Orchestra, Kevin Devine
Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale New York
November 29th 2009

You would think this one would deserve its own review, wouldn’t you? Unfortunately, Brand New’s  biggest ever headlining show didn’t quite live

Glassjaw's Palumbo

up to expectations. With support from a hand full of their favorite bands at an arena just minutes from where they grew up, I think everyone who made their way inside the Nassau Coliseum was expecting something special. What they got was something very ordinary.

The main reason the show wasn’t the rousing success it should have been was the time constraints placed on each band. Five acts on one stage is too many, and it became quite obvious when openers Kevin Devine, Manchester Orchestra, and Thrice were all limited to very short sets. Main support Glassjaw was allowed to play longer, and put on the type of show that has made them Long Island legends, at least to those who mixed it up on the floor of the cavernous arena. Daryl Palumbo was at his deranged best, singing and screaming his vocal cords to shreds.

The best way to describe the headliners set would be “loud.” The speakers which towered above the stage pumped out the type of sound that could finally do justice to tracks such as “Sink” and “Gasoline.” The band did their part by turning in the frenzied performance all of their fans have come to expect.  There was very little between song banter for a hometown show, which wasn’t much of a surprise considering Jessey Lacey is rarely one to wax poetic in such situations.

The most memorable moment of the night was not an individual song, but was when the band finally paused to look around at the thousands of occupied seats stretching high up the rafters. Understated as always, Lacey simply said “This is big… Bigger than my bedroom.”

The band closed the set with “Seventy Times 7″ much sooner than the crowd had hoped, most likely due to a curfew imposed by the venue. While the thousands who filed out of the arena left satisfied, this should have been the type of show that is talked about for years to come, but I doubt that will be the case. The second acoustic stage featuring old favorites Vinnie Caruana of The Movielife and Andy Jackson of Hot Rod Circuit was a very nice touch, as were the four bands who opened on the main stage. However, the next time Brand New returns to Long Island, hopefully they will keep the focus where it belongs, which is squarely on themselves.

It appears I’ve gotten pretty far behind in posting my show reviews, so I’ve decided that instead of letting these two shows go forgotten, it would be a good idea to compile a few short reviews in one post, so here it goes:

Say Anything with Eisley, Moneen, Moving Mountains
House of Blues Boston, October 30th 2009
My third time seeing Say Anything was certainly the least enjoyable for a number of reasons. For one, the openers were quite disappointing. Moving Mountains slogged through a sleep-educing set, while Eisley was as ear-splitingly bad. Sandwiched in between these two crowd killers was Moneen, an underrated Canadian act who always put on a great show. They once again held up their end of the bargain with an energy packed 25 minute set.

Say Anything took the stage and started the show with a number of familiar tracks, including “Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too” and “Alive with the Glory of Love.” The crowd absolutely ate it up. Nearly every song received a huge reaction, including material from the band’s new self-titled album, which at that point was still a week away from being released.

While Bax Bemis and Co. chose a decent set list and did everything they could to work the crowd into a frenzy, I felt they lacked the enthusiasm

Say Anything's Bemis

that had marked previous shows. The between song banter seemed scripted, and the band sounded sloppy at times. While it is clear that Say Anything is as popular as they’ve ever been, I hope their Boston show was simply an off night and not a sign of things to come.

World/Inferno Friendship Society with O’Death
Grand Ballroom at Manhattan Center, October 31st 2009

While Say Anthing may have been a bit dull, World/Inferno Friendship Society’s annual “Hollow Mass” the next night was anything but. The New York City cult favorites put on a show that was memorable on a number of different levels. The band  played on the 7th floor of the Manhattan Center Complex, directly above a sold-out Halloween night Weezer performance. While security was tight at the door, it sure wasn’t up in what equated to the building’s attic. Stage divers filled the air as the crowd merrily danced along to every song.

In between tracks, frontman Jack Terricloth led the crowd in a celebration of the Great Pumpkin, revealing the Ten Commandments of Halloween, including “Thou Shalt Not Be A Whining Jerk” and “Thou Shall Covet Thy Neighbor’s Candy.” Yes, it was as strange as it sounds, just like all of the band’s shows. As the night progressed, any semblance of normalcy went out the window, as Terricloth held a prized pumpkin aloft while crowd surfers crashed to the stage around him.

Terricloth and his Pumpkin

The band would close the show with “Pumpkin Time” and finally “Ich Errinere Mich an Weimar.” During the final song, the crowd would rush the stage, leading to a scene that was complete bedlam. Terricloth finished the song while being crowd surfed by his adoring fans, as scores of others gathered around the rest of the band. I’ve seen a few World/Inferno shows, and I’ve always walked out amazed by  the spirit of the band and their fans. This show perfectly illustrated everything that makes the band unique: their theatrical flair for the dramatic, their crazed cult following, and most importantly, their ability to play great live music.

Brand New
Glassjaw
Crime in Stereo
House of Blues Boston
November 18th, 2009

Shorty before the release of their fourth record Daisy in September, Brand New announced what was by far the most ambitious touring plans of their career. Not only would they play the biggest clubs in cities across the country, they would play multiple nights in a number of these cities, and then finish the trek with a hometown stop at the massive Nassau Coliseum on Long Island. At first, I doubted the band’s ability to pull this off, and was expecting a whole lot of half-empty venues.

My expectation were pretty far off. Despite Daisy’s mixed reviews, the House of Blues in Boston was sold out for the second straight night when Brand New stepped on stage  November 18th.  Having seen the band a number of times, I can honestly say that no two  performances are ever the same, and this may have been the strangest, and at times most satisfying I’ve witnessed from band.

The night began with a largely ignored 25 minute set from Crime in Stereo. The band ran into the same problems I feel plague them on CD, mainly the fact that it is  difficult to hear lead singer Kristian Hallbert’s vocals over the music.

Next up was long-dormant Long Island legends Glassjaw. Considering the band hadn’t toured in nearly three years, I

Glassjaw's Palumbo

wasn’t sure what to expect. I had seen them once before, and I must say they weren’t nearly as impressive on this occasion. While they played their blend of aggressive yet melodic hardcore with near surgical precision, they didn’t seem all that interested to be on stage.

The quartet, who aligned themselves in a circle with bassist Manny Carrero facing away from the crowd, played a mix of songs from their two full length records, as well as a few new tracks including “Jesus Glue.” The setlist had the crowd at times in a furry, and at other times in a state of confusion. Seeing that it was mainly the former, the crowd didn’t seem to mind the band’s relative indifference.

After an excruciatingly long 45 minute wait, Brand New finally took the stage and openned with the instrumental “Walcome To Bangkok.” While the band had used an extended version of the track as an epic closing number on previous tours, this true-to-the-album version served as more of a warm-up than a showstopper.

The Long Island quintet would then get things rolling with “Sink” and “Degausser” before charging into the explosive combination of “You Won’t Know,” “Tommy Gun,” “Sic Transit Gloria,”  “The Quite Things that No One Every Knows,” and finally “Mix Tape.” This string of crowd favorites featured Brand New at their very finest.

After enigmatic front man Jesse Lacey completed an eerie solo version of “Limousine,” the band would  showcase new material from Daisy. Much like the record itself, the results were mixed. While Brand New nailed the new, more technically challenging songs, the crowd’s enthusiasm dropped through the floor, as those at the front  suddenly fell silent and still.

Brand New's Vin Accardi

The crowd finally snapped out of their funk later in the set when Band New ripped though two of their fastest and most energetic songs, “The Shower Scene” and “The Archers Bows Have Broken.” This were followed by “At the Bottom,” the Daisy lead single which received the best response of any of the new songs.

Instead of leaving the stage before the encore, Lacey instead began to strum the tune to “Wild Thing,” which he explained by saying “Sometimes this yellow guitar just wants to play ‘Wild Thing,’ what can I say.” What would a Brand New show be without at least one head-scratching moment?

After over an hour and half on stage, the band would finally bring the show to a close by giving the fans exactly what they wanted: the combination of “Jude Law and a Semester Abroad” and “Seventy Times 7.” While Lacey and Co. once refused to play these songs live, they seem to have embraced the Your  Favorite Weapon classics as the perfect way to end a show.

Those at the front were throughly exhausted and made their exit completely content with what they had just witnessed. However, it was difficult to ignore the lukewarm reception to nearly every Daisy track. While the band seems to relish the fact their new record has polarized their fan base, you have to wonder how much they enjoy a packed venue that suddenly goes still whenever they play a song like “Bought a Bride.”

Reaction or no reaction, I’m sure the band isn’t going to stray away from their new songs anytime soon. As Brand New has proven throughout their career, they aren’t going to let the silence of spectators or changing trends affect what they do as a band, either in the studio or in a live setting.

 

Edit this setlist | More Brand New setlists

AFI
The Unseen
House of Blues Boston
October 25th 2009

I’ll start this review by saying this was my second time seeing AFI in less than two weeks, and I’ve already written a glowing review of their Providence Performance here. So, I’ll just get the praise out of the way early. AFI once again sounded great and brought a boatload of energy to the stage with them. They once again played a set that was a little too short and a little too thin on older favorites. And once again, they made both of these concerns seem like an afterthought with their performance.

The night began with the realization that AFI isn’t as big as they used to be. The House of Blues was as empty as I’ve ever seen it, with the mezzanine level closed off and floor only about half full. The only opening act was Boston’s own the Unseen, an old-school punk band that played solid set and was well received by those in the crowd.  The group’s mohawked frontman Mark Unseen was even able to inspire a large circle pit towards the end of the set as he jumped down from the stage and allowed those at the front to do the vocal work.

AFI would make thier traditionally grand entrance and start the set just as they had done in Providence, with “Torch Song” and then “Girls Not Grey.” Seeing as that the band doesn’t change up their setlist very often, I wasn’t expecting many surprises. However, it was obvious from the start that lead singer Davey Havok and Co. were ready to give it their all on what was the last night of the tour’s first leg.

During the set’s third track, “The Leaving Song Pt. II,” Havok would do a flying somersault into the crowd, causing a free for all that had everyone at the front of the venue wildly grabbing for a piece of the charasmatic frontman. After clawing his way back to the stage, Havok would jokingly scold one fan for trying to rip off his shoe.

This would not be Havok’s only foray into the crowd, for he would return later in the set for a successful head-walk. The band would throw in the set’s big surprise with “The Despair Factor,” a rarely played track from 2000’s The Art of Drowning. During this song it became clear that while many of the band’s fair weather fans might have skipped the show, the diehards were well represented. This became even more clear when the band would play “Don’t Make Me Ill” from 1995’s Answer That and Stay Fashionable. Havok once again climbed down from the stage to share the mic with the enthusiastic fans pressed up against the barrier.

Once again, the band’s new songs may not pack the same punch as some of their older counterparts, but they still sound great in a live environment and had those in the crowd singing along. As in Providence, AFI would preform Crash Love lead single “Medicate” towards the end of the set, and it would once again receive only a luke-warm reception compared to the other Crash Love songs.

After closing the set with “Love Like Winter,” the band would return to the stage for an encore that began with undoubtadly the show’s best moment, “The Interview.” The often spectacular light show would be put on hold for a song as Havok and guitarist Jade Pudget would trade lines on the somber Decemberunderground track.

Closing the set with “Miss Muder” and “Silver and Cold,” the band would put an exclamation point on a show that had witnessed quartete at their best. While they had put in a very solid effort in Providence, they seemed to bring something extra to the Boston show. Havok’s stage diving antics showed he hasn’t lost touched with his hardcore roots, while Pudget, bassists Hunter Bergan and drummer Adam Carson were once again supurb in providing the soundtrack.

It’s unfortunate that AFI’s constant reinventions haven’t sat too well with the fans who flocked to the band during the Sing the Sorrow era, but it is obvious that they’re the ones missing out, as AFI continues to put on spectacular live shows. The crowd at the House of Blues would certainly attest to this.

The Gaslight Anthem
Murder by Death
Jesse Malin
Broadway Calls
House of Blues Boston
October 17th, 2009

It’s amazing how quickly the Gaslight Anthem, a band that was barely known outside the state of New Jersey until recently, has exploded onto the scene in 2009. After an opening slot at a free WFNX show this summer, the band returned to Boston to headline the House of Blues in an engagement that signaled the arrival of the blue-collar quintet as one of today’s most promising acts.

The night began with a set from Broadway Calls, an up and coming pop-punk act that has seemingly opened for about 100 different bands this fall. While their short set was solid, it wasn’t as nearly as well received as their performance supporting Streetlight Manifesto at the same venue a month earlier.

As the cavernous venue finally began to fill up, Jesse Malin and his supporting band took the stage to perform a set of sunny pop tunes that had the crowd slightly interested. I’ll have to admit it wasn’t exactly my thing, so I didn’t pay too much attention.

Next up was Murder by Death, a band that served as a perfect opener for the Gaslight Anthem with their gruff, no frills style. The band played a 40 minute set of songs that dealt mainly with whiskey, drinking, the desert, and being in jail. It seemed as if the quartet was straight out of a John Wayne movie, and the crowd ate it up.

Fallon Earlier This Summers straight out of a John Wayne movie, and the crowd ate it up.

The Gaslight Anthem would then take the stage as Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” was pumped over the PA system. With a huge smile on his face, lead singer Brian Fallon would strum the first notes to “High Lonesome” as the dance party instantly became a rousing rock show. The band would then tear through “Casanova, Baby!” and “Old White Lincoln” as the crowd surged toward the front of the stage and sang along.

As the set wore on, the New Jersey quintet seemed to pick up steam with every song, and those in attendance responded in kind. Fallon and co. would not only play every song from their breakout album The ‘59 Sound, but they would also play a number of tracks from their debut full length Sink or Swim, as well as from their more recent Senior and the Queen EP. While it was not surprising that they would venture into older material, it was surprising how enthusiastically the crowd responded to it. It’s good to see that radio success hasn’t created an army of fair weather fans.

The ear to ear grin that Fallon had showcased at the start of the set never left his face,  An outsider might have thought he had just won the lottery, and based on the size of the crowd that packed the House of Blues and their enthusiasm, he might as well have. After a show stopping rendition of “Here’s Looking At You, Kid,” the band would charge into “The Backseat,” a set closing number that had crowd serfers flying through the air.

Bassist Alex Levine

After a brief time break, the group would return for an encore that would feature zero songs from their most recent album but would still inspire quite a bit of chaos in the pit. “Blue Jeans and White T-Shirts” was followed by “Drive,” and the show was then closed with a cathartic version of “Say You Won’t (Recognize)” that saw nearly everyone on the floor crashing and bouncing into each other like bumper cars.

With smiles still intact, the band would leave the stage a full hour and a half after they had made their appearance, which is almost unheard of for a band with only two full length records. They had given their fans everything they had wanted and more, which is just one of the reasons why one of rock’s best kept secrets may officially be out.

 

Edit this setlist | More The Gaslight Anthem setlists

AFI
Gallows
Lupo’s, Providence RI
October 14th, 2009

Three years. That was the last time AFI had visited the northeast or done any major touring. For die hard fans like myself, it had been far too long. With the release of Crash Love, AFI was finally ready to hit the road and debut their new tracks, new outfits, and new hairdos.

Their second of four New England appearances brought them to Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel in downtown Providence, where they had last appeared along with the Explosion in 2006. That show had seen the quintet at the height of their popularity, supporting both a chart topping record in Decemberunderground and single in “Miss Murder.” Crash Love has not seen the same type of success, which may be why the band performed as if they had something to prove to those in the audience.

Cater getting up close and personal with the crowd

The show featured only one opening band, UK-based hardcore outfit Gallows. What could (and probably should) have been another bland set from a band most weren’t familiar with turned into a thoroughly enjoyable 40 minutes. This was mainly due to the antics of frontman Frank Carter. After playing two songs that featured little crowd participation, Carter climbed down from the stage and into the crowd, mic in hand.

Positioning himself at the back of the small dance floor, Carter proceed to sing the remainder of the set from the complete chaos that surrounded him. While I haven’t been to many hardcore shows, I found this move to be both unbelievable and completely awesome. Gallows is apparently bigger in Providence than I had expected, for there were a host of bandanna-clad fans ready to mix it up and show off their headcore dancing skills.

And of course, there were some not so savvy fans who decided to join in as well. One was a young female who shoved Carter and then challenged him to a fight. The somewhat stunned frontman stopped the music and had the girl repeat the question into the mic, which earned a laugh from the rest of the crowd. Carter then shook his head and jokingly encouraged the girl to pick a fight with any of the other boys in the crowd, for they would be happy to oblige.

After closing the set back on stage with “Orchestra of Wolves,” Gallows would make their exit, along with at least a handful of their fans. After the standard 30 minute wait, AFI took the stage, one member at a time, dressed in their trademark black, except for lead singer Davey Havok. The charismatic frontman instead was decked out in a sparkling polyester suit. I don’t think anyone was surprised.

They would being the set with “Torch Song,” the first song from Crash Love. While it is a solid track, I don’t think it works well as an opener, and most in the crowd didn’t seem to think so either. Things would pick up quickly though as the band ripped though “Girls Not Grey” and “Leaving Song Pt. II,” both of which woke the crowd up in a big way.

Next the band would debut another Crash Love track, this being “Too Shy To Scream.” Unlike “Torch Song,” this did inspire quite the sing along, as did the moody “Ever and a Day,” the only Art of Drowning-era song to make the set list.

Throughout the set Havok danced around the stage as if he were the lead actor in a dramatic play, while guitarist Jade Pudget and bassist Hunter Burgan barely avoided crashing into each other as they raced back and forth. After playing “Kill Caustic” and “End Transmission,” Havok stopped to ask if anyone in the crowd was 18 years old. After a few in the crowd cheered, Havok proclaimed “so is this song” before launching into “Self-Pity,” which appeared on 1995’s Answer That and Stay Fashionable.

Following “Beautiful Thieves” was “Dancing Through Sunday,” which featured a blistering solo from Puget that was one of the highlights of the set. It’s remarkable how good this band sounds live, especially compared to some of their counterparts.  The show would then slow down considerably with “The Leaving Song” and “On the Arrow.” Both were a very nice addition to an otherwise fast paced set.

The band would close with the trio of “Death of Seasons,” “Medicate,” and “Love Like Winter.” Despite being Crash Love’s first single and most familiar track, it inspired only a half-hearted sing along. “Love Like Winter,” on the other hand, not only sounded CD-quality but also inspired another huge response from the crowd.

As the band walked off stage and the house lights stayed down, I took a look at my watch to see that the band had spent less than fifty minutes on stage. I was hoping for a long encore, but knowing the band rarely played long sets, certainly wasn’t expecting one. After returning to the stage, the band would play an upbeat cover of The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven” before transitioning to two of their biggest hits, “Miss Murder” and “Silver and Cold.”

While “Miss Murder” may not be the band’s most original work, it certainly brings the house down in a live setting, and it didn’t disappoint tonight. Closing the show with “Silver and Cold” was an interesting choice and it worked well, as Havok raised the mic stand high in the air and let the crowd do the singing during one part of the song.

As “Silver and Cold” concluded, the band took their bows, and slowly left the stage. The set had only lasted an hour, and it absolutely flew by. It’s almost understandable that AFI would play a shorter set, for even a world class athlete would be exhausted after sprinting around stage the way they do. Havok’s vocal theatrics also must be commended. The frontman deftly moved from vocal cord-shredding screams on “Kill Castic” and “Death of Seasons” to huge melodic choruses on “Girls Not Grey” and “Beautiful Thieves.” Overall, the show was another memorable AFI performance, and while the absence of older material was disappointing, the new Crash Love tracks packed the type of punch that could rock stadiums. Maybe some day.

Edit this setlist | More AFI setlists

Billy Talent
Poison the Well
The Paradise Rock Club, Boston
October 9th 2009

The Paradise Rock Club in Boston isn’t the city’s flashiest venue, and Billy Talent certainly isn’t one of the city’s best known bands, but when the two came together on a rainy October night, the results were anything but shabby. The Canadian quartet, along with South Florida’s Poison the Well, put on the type of show that delighted and damaged the hearing of those who packed the grungy club.

The show began with a set from AM Taxi, which I unfortunately did not witness (there was a Qdoba next door…). When we did make our way into the venue, we didn’t have to wait long for Poison the Well to take the stage. While I may not be a huge fan of the entire metalcore genre, witnessing them play was an enlightening experience. The band simply killed it. They performed a set that was that was insanely fast, ridiculously technical, and epically loud.

While many in the crowd (including myself) were unfamiliar with the veteran quartet, lead singer Jefferey Moriera displayed the type of stage presence that kept the audience completely absorbed throughout their 40 minutes on stage. Moriera mixed gruff screams and howls along with melodic choruses, while the rest of the band deftly sprinkled atmospheric elements in with their hardcore shredding. It served as the perfect warm up for Billy Talent’s headlining set.

Lead singer Ben Kowalewicz led the chart topping Canadian act on stage and they immediately burst into a rousing rendition of “Devil in a Midnight Mass.” Despite the over zealous security and “no moshing” rules at the Paradise, it was obvious from the start this show would be anything but tame.

The crowd surged towards the stage and shouted along throughout the set, and the band used this energy to their advantage. Kowalewicz spent most of the show at the foot of the stage, going face to face with those in the first few rows. With eyes wide and veins bulging, the dynamic front man alternated between melodic singing on tracks such as “Surrender” and frenzied screams on crowd favorites such as “Line and Sinker.” 

Between songs, Kowalewicz ran through the normal Billy Talent banter, most of it revolving around sports. He praised Boston for its successful teams, and declared his hatred for the Yankees.  Kowalewicz also made note of the large student population surrounding the club, joking that a group of  well dressed college girls had thrown change at him earlier in the day thinking he was a bum.

The musical portion of the set included an even mix of tracks from the band’s three full lengths. Songs from the recently released Billy Talent III sounded great and received a nice reaction from the crowd, but they couldn’t match the intensity of more familiar songs such as “The Ex” or “Try Honesty,” which closed the set.

The band would return for an encore consisting of “Fallen Leaves” and “Red Flag,” both from 2006’s Billy Talent II. The crowd filed out of the club more than satisfied with what they had witnessed, and looking forward to a promised return engagement in 2010. The group certainly seemed to enjoy their stop at the intimate venue, especially considering many of their shows in Canada take place in monstrous arenas that set fans far back from the stage. In fact, the band had announced an enormous 2010 Canadian arena tour with support from Alexisonfire and Against Me! earlier in the day.

While they might not be playing arenas in the states any time soon, Billy Talent is quietly building a dedicated fan base on the strength of their stellar live shows. High profile opening slots for bands such as Thursday, Rise Against, and Rancid have helped, but the quartet has proven that they can hold their own as headliners in any setting.

Set list (probably not exact)
Devil in a Midnight Mass
This Suffering
Line and Sinker
Rusted for the Rain
Saint Veronika
Surrender
Diamond on a Landmine
River Below
The Dead Can’t Testify
The Ex
Devil on my Shoulder
Turn Your Back
Try Honesty

Fallen Leaves
Red Flag

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
Giants Stadium
October 3rd 2009

Bruce Springsteeen is the last of a dying breed. For well over 30 years, he has held the distinction of being Jersey’s favorite son, and his popularity may well be at an all time high. Such longevity is unheard of in today’s music world. Springsteen has managed to outlive Giants Stadium, the venue that helped signal his arrival as a certified rock star when he first performed there in 1985. The Boss was tapped to close out the (somewhat) historic venue with five farewell shows before it will be reduced to rubble at the conclusion of this year’s football season.

Springsteen and the E Street Band  marked the occasion by playing one of their most successful albums in its entirety each night. On October 3rd, the choice was “Born in the USA,” the 1984 breakout that has sold over 15 million copies in the US. In addition to the album’s twelve tracks, Springsteen would add a mix of old and new that had the 50,000 in attendance in a state of complete ecstasy.

I’ll start by saying I had never seen Bruce Springsteen live before, so I was more than excited to finally get the chance to see the man many consider one of today’s best performers. The most difficult part of the show was simply getting there. The trek from Southern Connecticut somehow required four different train rides, the final one a short trip from Hoboken to the Meadowlands that resembled a college campus on homecoming weekend, with frat boys and 50 year-olds alike readying for the party.

We were lucky enough to be on the field for the show, which was divided into two different pit sections. After arriving only a half an hour before the doors opened, we found a spot in the first pit that put us relatively close to the stage. While the tickets listed the show time as 7:30, the stadium was nearly empty as that time rolled around. Apparently the Jersey faithful knew something we didn’t, for the E Street Band wouldn’t take the stage until an hour later.

Once they did, Springsteen began the marathon set with a song titled “Wrecking Ball” written just for the occasion. It wasn’t Bruce’s best work, but the fans appreciated the effort and sang along with the words displayed on the huge video screens framing the stage. The band then broke into a raucous version of “Out in the Street.”  Working on a Dream epic “Outlaw Pete” followed, complete with a desert montage presented on the  screens. The song is one of Springsteen’s most unique, but at eight minutes, it seems a little bit much for a live setting like this.

One of the highlights of the show was the next song, “Hungry Heart,” which featured the 60 year-old Springsteen leaving the stage, running about thirty yards down field, and then crowd surfing his way back to the front. The show as a whole did not rely on overblown theatrics like most  stadium shows. Instead, Springsteen provided the type of energy that is rarely seen in today’s performers, racing to all ends of the stage and firing up the crowd between songs with the enthusiasm of a southern preacher.

After an already frantic start to the show, Springsteen and the E Street Band, which at times swelled to eleven members, segued into the nights main attraction, Born in the USA. The crowd sang at the top of their lungs to the title track, and then didn’t miss a beat during lesser known numbers such as “Darlington County” and “Downbound Train.” It was apparent the crowd of 50,000 was of the die hard variety.

One of the night’s most poignant moments was “I’m on Fire,” where Springsteen sat in a chair at the end of the stage to perform the song. On the video screen, three teenage girls in the front row  sang along to every word. When Springsteen reached out and clasped hands with each of them, the look on their faces was priceless.

The next track “No Surrender” followed and was met by a huge reaction from the crowd and was another one of the night’s high points. During “Dancing in the Dark,” Springsteen brought a Syracuse orange-clad thirteen year old on stage for a “birthday dance.” While he may not be Fred Astaire, even at 60 the Boss still has the moves.

After closing out the Born in the USA portion of the set, Springsteen would assemble the members of the band that had helped make the record at the front of the stage for a great photo opportunity. It was a terrible idea to not bring my camera.

Springteen and the E Street Band would continue to thrill fans with selections both old and new. “The Promise Land” from 1978’s Darkness on the Edge of Town was followed by “Last to Die” and “Long Walk Home” from 2007’s “Magic.” The songs, and the crowd’s reaction to them is a testament to the band’s longevity and amazing staying power. Could you imagine the Rolling Stones playing two news songs that the those in the crowd not only were familiar with, but sang along to as if it were the band’s biggest hit? I can’t.

Springsteen and Co. would finish their set with an epic rendition of their signature track “Born to Run.” Without leaving the stage, the band took their bows and then began the “encore” portion of the set by taking requests from the crowd. This involved Springsteen grabbing elaborately crafted signs from those at the front, and then tallying the results. The first request was a cover of Tom Wait’s  “Jersey Girl.” This was followed by a long, drawn out version of “Kitty’s Back.” Like “Outlaw Pete,” there were many in the crowd (including myself) who were quite ready to move on by the end of the song.

“Detroit Medley” would then follow, featuring a collection of Springsteen’s favorite 60’s Motor City classics. The collection is an appropriate tribute to the struggling city. After 2001 “American Land,” (which could easily fit on most Dropkick Murphy’s records), “Waitin’ on a Sunny Day” featured a guest appearance by a pint-sized member of the crowd who happened to know every word.

The two hour and fifty minute set would come to a close with “Thunder Road” from 1975’s Born to Run. After a long ovation, the crowd would reluctantly make their way for the exits. I was thoroughly exhausted. It’s almost unfathomable to think that Springsteen puts on such a spectacle every single night, and yet he has been doing it for decades. His energy and passion is unsurpassed, a main reason why he has been able to remain relevant for so long. Throughout Springsteen’s 30+ years career, artists, trends, and even stadiums have come and gone, but the E Street Band has remained a constant. It doesn’t look like that will be changing any time soon.

Edit this setlist | More Bruce Springsteen setlists

The Flaming Lips
Explosions in the Sky
August 3oth 2009
Bank of America Pavilion, Boston

It’s amazing how a bunch of chairs can change a rock concert. The cheap plastic furniture takes everything that is great about seeing a band live and sterilizes it. Gone is the crowd energy, the singing along, and the pointed fingers. Instead, thousands of enthusiastic fans are transformed into zombies, herded to their assigned spots by the orange-clad seating chart police. During the show, some fans dare to belt out the songs along with the band, but most simply bob their heads or stare blankly, not exactly urged on by the stranger sitting in the next seat over.

During their show at the Bank of America Pavilion on the Boston waterfront, The Flaming Lips attempted to break this familiar pattern, as is their trademark, they did their best to turn the event into a party of massive proportions, complete with flashing lights, balloons, confetti, and stage dancers. However, Wayne Coyne and company were never able to fully escape the amphitheater trap, failing to connect with the thousands of fans filling the seats despite putting on a solid performance.

The night started with a short performance from an opening band that I don’t recall the name of and no one paid attention to. You know you’re at an amphitheater when…

Next up was Explosions in the Sky, an instrumental band hailing from Texas that has developed somewhat of a cult following. This wasn’t their first high-profile opening gig, for I saw them with the Smashing Pumpkins about two years ago. Their brand of instrumental rock is sometimes soft, sometimes heavy, and never really all that interesting, at least not to me. While I certainly consider myself a fan of lyrics first and instrumentation second, there were some in the audience that thoroughly enjoyed the performance, head banging along to a set that was at times ear-splittingly loud.

Before the Flaming Lips took the stage, their road crew worked furiously to ready the elaborate stage set up, and they were joined by frontman Wayne Coyne. In between taping down setlists and tuning guitars, Coyne tried to pump up the crowd with a number of exagerated fist pumps and hand gestures. The night would only get stranger from this point forward.

Instead of taking the stage, the band was “born” from the image of a large flourescent woman dancing on the backdrop. Coyne was the last to step out from a door in the screen, and he then climbed into a transparent ball and proceded to “roll” over the fans in the first few rows.

The musical portion of the show began with “Race for the Prize,” and while the band would go on to play a number of fan favorites, it never seemed like Coyne and company made a connection with those in the audience. Much of this can be attributed to the venue itself. I don’t have anything positive to say about amphitheaters that are more concerned with selling nachos than with putting fans close to the stage (I think you could just leave it as, I don’t have anything positive to say about amphitheaters—just kidding). Another issue was the distractions the band provided. Large colorful balls, some filled with confetti some not, where thrown into the crowd during the first song. While punching them up into the air was amusing at first, it got old as the set went on.

In addition to the bouncing balls, there was also plenty of confetti, and dancers positioned on each end of the stage. These dancers, even the ones dressed in wolf suits, somehow managed to move and jump around throughout the entire set. Their enthusiasm wasn’t matched by those in the seats, most of whom  simply bobbed their heads throughout the night. This isn’t to say the band didn’t get the crowd interested on a few occasions. “Yeah Yeah Yeah Song” and “Yoshimi Pt. 1” were highlights of the set, as was “She Don’t Use Jelly,” which was the final song before the encore. The band would also preview three songs from their upcoming record Embryonic, which will be released on October 13^th. Of the three, the intense “Silver Tremblin Hands” sounded the best.

To bring the night to a close, the band performed a one song encore consisting of  “Do You Realize,” which finally had the crowd singing along. The show ended on a high note, but it was difficult to not be at least somewhat disappointed with the performance as a whole. While the Flaming Lips gave their best effort to keep the show interesting, their set lacked the intimacy of a club show, and couldn’t match the spectacle or sheer volume of an arena performance. While I would certainly see the Flaming Lips again, I can’t imagine I would be all that excited to do it at a place like Bank of America Pavilion.

Blink-182

August 29th, 2009

The show started off just like any other. Thousands of eager fans streamed into the sold-out Comcast Theater, eager to finally witness the return of Blink-182. Most of them, including myself, missed Chester French, and then witnessed a bland set from Taking Back Sunday, followed by a fantastic one from Weezer. When Blink first took the stage, the crowd roared and Mark Hoppus and Tom Delonge raced around the stage belting out the band’s biggest hits.

However, this was not a normal show, for during the band’s set, a teary-eyed Hoppus called this one of the most difficult shows the band had ever played due to the death of Adam Goldstein , aka “DJ AM.” Goldstein, who had died suddenly a day earlier, and had collaborated with Barker on a number of occasions (and). His death came as a shock to the music industry. Hoppus credited Goldstein with being an extremely talented musician, innovator, and friend. The band did their best to put on a great show, but it was often difficult to sing along to their bouncy pop-punk tracks after seeing the band so visibly shaken up.

The night started (at least for me) with a short set from Taking Back Sunday, marking the third time I had seen the group this summer. Unlike their memorable performance at the House of Blues in Boston in June, they seemed out of their element playing on such a large stage before the sun had set. The band went through the motions, trying to look interested without much success. The crowd in the pit stood still and silent for the first half of the set, finally getting involved during “Liar (It Takes One to Know One).” They may have been doing so more out of boredom than actual excitement.

After the unfurling of a golden “Weezer” banner and a hilarious “Welcome to Harford” video introduction, the veteran act took the stage, minus front man Rivers Cuomo. After playing the opening cords of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs,” Rivers finally made his entrance, moving like a clunky robot and holding a football. As if this wasn’t strange enough, Weezer proceeded to rock the Sabbath cover as if it were their biggest hit.

The crowd seemed very confused. This changed with the intro to “Hash Pipe.” While this was a Blink-182 headlining show, you would have no idea based on the crowd’s reaction to nearly every song the band played. Weezer’s set was as enjoyable to watch as any I’ve seen recently, as Rivers egged on the crowd with his odd stage antics that included playing an accoustic guitar while jumping on a trampoline. It was obvious the Connecticut native wasn’t taking this opening slot lightly.

The set was so good because the band didn’t shy away from older material. Tracks from 1994’s landmark blue album were dominant and included “Undone – The Sweater Song,” “Surf Wax America,” “Say It Ain’t So,” “My Name is Jonas,” and “Buddy Holly.” In addition to this, the band would include more of their best work, such as “The Good Life, “Pork and Beans,” and “Perfect Situation.”

While the entire set could be considered somewhat outlandish, two of the wackiest moments involved Cuomo playing “Island in the Sun” by himself, looping drum, bass, and backing vocals and then taking care of lead vocals while playing an acoustic guitar, which he then tossed into the crowd. While the guitar would have made for an amazing conversation piece for one lucky fan, it was quickly ripped to shreds, providing small souvenirs for a few dozen involved in the scrum.

Weezer would then finish the set the way they had started it: with another over. This time, it was The Clash’s “Should I Stay or Should I Go.” After a half hour wait, Blink-182 took the stage to the delight of the completely sold out pavilion. The band would race through seven songs, beginning with “Dumpweed” and finishing with “Stay Together For the Kids,” before an emotional Mark Hoppus would address the crowd about the tragedy that had struck the day before. The emotional address and moment of silence that followed cast a notable pall over the next few songs.

Tom Delonge attempted to lighten the mood with jokes, but was largely unsuccessful. Finally, he took a moment to address the crowd, saying music had always served as an escape for him, and tonight would be no different. This rare serious moment from Delogne was surprisingly heartfelt, and seemed to rally the crowd for the rest of the show.

The band would finished their set with “Josie” and “Anthem Pt. 2,” before returning for an encore that did not feature Travis Barker’s traditional “flying” drum solo. Seeing as Barker considered Goldstein a close friend, it was understandable why the drummer had no intentions of taking center stage on this night. Following “Carousel” and “Dammit,” the band would take their bows and leave the stage.

Hoppus’s mid-show address was unlike anything I’ve seen at a live show. The night was obviously very difficult for the band, and it was somewhat surprising they hadn’t postponed or canceled the show altogether. Overall, the trio deserves a great deal of credit for their performance. They sounded great and looked to be having a blast, even if this was not at all the case. While a tragic plane crash that had involved both Barker and Goldstein only a year earlier was the main reason Blink was back on stage together, it was difficult to take any positives from this most recent tragedy.

Edit this setlist | More blink-182 setlists