Anyway, after we got over the excitement of seeing the great man himself, it was time for the concert to start. Bad Rabbits opened the show; I'd never listened to this band before and they definitely weren't what I was expecting, but they without a doubt gave it their all. They really seemed to be great musicians--the lead singer had a great voice--and the songs were catchy. They knew how to pump up the crowd. At the end of their set, I may have still been a little confused as to why they were on tour with Taking Back Sunday, but I nevertheless enjoyed their show. These guys know how to party.
The Maine were next, and admittedly I've only listened to a few songs by The Maine, but I really liked those few songs. Therefore, I was excited to see them and find out if they were any good live--unfortunately, I got my answer. I was not really that into their set; they didn't do much to pump up the crowd, and the few things they said appeared to be planned. My favorite song by The Maine is "Into Your Arms," and I was really disappointed that the lead singer didn't even try to hit the high note at the end of the chorus, not once throughout the entire song. Then, "Inside of You," which I always thought was a cute song about getting inside someone's head, getting inside someone's heart, getting inside someone's life, was pretty much ruined for me when the lead singer announced it was about "Having sex. With a female." I'm not even going to get started on the notes he skipped in this song.
I will say that backup vocalist was at least attempting the higher parts, and the drummer and bassist seemed pretty cool. I have to wonder if the lead singer thinks he can do whatever he wants because he's gorgeous and girls will fall over him no matter what. Not I, sir. I will say though, that it wasn't necessarily bad. The instrumentation was overall good--they didn't seem to make many technical errors--and I don't really have many specific gripes except skipping high notes. I was just a little bit bored throughout the set.
Then for the main act. There have been very, very few times in my life when I have been as excited as I was that night waiting for Taking Back Sunday to come out on the stage. They started their show with El Paso, which I love and think is a great opener. I can't remember the order of the songs for the rest of the show, but the order is kind of irrelevant--they placed just about everything I wanted to hear. What I can say is that after El Paso, they without a doubt kept up the energy and the excitement for the rest of the show. My only small disappointment was that with a small venue, such as the one we were at, Adam doesn't really have the room to swing the microphone as much as he normally does (I saw TBS this summer in a slightly larger place and it was incredible--really pumped up the show). But the group still had an awesome dynamic, from John Nolan's banter with Adam to Adam jokingly rubbing Ed Reyes' chest during a song. I particularly loved this because it shows me that the members of the band are actually friends, and its not just a front they are putting on for their fans.
I love that they still play songs like "You Know I Do," even though that's not necessarily one of their most famous tunes. Also, the fact that they do "Existentialism on Prom Night" really gets me; the harder ending they add in makes it even more perfect than it was when only John Nolan was singing it. Basically, I just can't stress enough that they simply put on a fantastic show; when you go to one, you'll understand why I can't really find the right words.
I love that they still play songs like "You Know I Do," even though that's not necessarily one of their most famous tunes. Also, the fact that they do "Existentialism on Prom Night" really gets me; the harder ending they add in makes it even more perfect than it was when only John Nolan was singing it. Basically, I just can't stress enough that they simply put on a fantastic show; when you go to one, you'll understand why I can't really find the right words.
I have to say the greatest part of the night was when Adam made a comment that he can't believe he lets us see how open and emotional he gets during shows--and then after a moment of consideration, saying that he guesses we do the same for him. I think it really means a lot, as a fan, to know that the people in the band still care about the music they are performing--its not just to have something to do, or just to make money. Adam made a great effort to connect with his screaming fans, and the entire group put all they had into the performance.
I realize that I'm prejudiced about TBS, but I truly think that if you like Taking Back Sunday at all, or if you are at least neutral on their music, its worth going to a show. They perform a great mix of old songs and new, and you won't be disappointed by the performances. (They don't skip difficult guitar riffs or drum parts, and they never reject hard vocals--at least I don't think so--I'm usually too busy singing along and getting thrown around by the crowd to pay too much attention.) Even people who aren't really into music would be able to see the joy on Adam Lazzara's smiling face when he lets the crowd finish his lyrics, and sees that 500 screaming fans know every single word. Add in some mic swinging, and those competing vocals, and this is a show that is not to be missed.
I said before in this blog that having a hand on Adam Lazzara during "Cute Without the 'E'" was the best concert moment of my life. Now, I think the best concert moment of my life is holding eye contact with him during "One-Eighty by Summer." It's like he was talking to me when he said "my best side was your worst invention." I know I'll never forget it for the rest of my life.
And I'm already planning to hit at least one stop on their next tour.
And I'm already planning to hit at least one stop on their next tour.
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