Show Review

I literally just reviewed a Dear and the Headlights show that was meant to have one of my new favorite bands Paper Rival as openers. Due to some sort of timing clause, Paper Rival weren’t able to play two shows so close to one another in a row. It ended up being a huge blessing for me, because this show snuck up on me and ended up being one of the better shows I’ve seen in a long time. In fact, for the first time in awhile I felt mesmerized and truly fully captivated by the music and performances.

As soon as I walked into the show, I knew I was going to have a good time. You get that vibe when you see a redhead onstage wearing thick rimmed glasses, a tight small Star Wars t-shirt, and black jean shorts. Truly, the Mansions singer and orchestrator Christopher Browder clearly had little concern for his appearance—or was trying to make a statement—but either way, I loved his attitude from the get go. And as he played an array of familiar noise rock songs, I found myself getting sucked into that vibe, and for just a second I remembered what it was all about. He played a set consisting of songs mostly from his recently released EP, with high points during the notably chaotic “Take It Back” and the wonderfully sloppy (yes in a good way) “The Worst Part.” He’s a truly underrated musician, and has a pretty unique style. Unfortunately, after the show I casually shouted out “Mansionsssssss!” and asked when his LP would be out, only to hear him disappoint stating it won’t be here until early 2009. Oh well, I’m sure it will be worth the wait.

It wasn’t until Paper Rival took the stage that I kicked things into third gear, though. The band has been in my player since their debut came out, and is easily one of the best new bands I’ve heard in a long time. Apparently, their drummer recently left and forced their guitar player (who recorded the drums on Dialog anyhow) to fill in—but I couldn’t tell the difference just from watching them. In fact, I thought the drumming was one of the bigger standouts of their performance, especially when combined with their energetic vocals and raging guitars. Paper Rival sent me into a daze as they played a scattered mix of mellow and non-mellow tracks from “Dialog,” notably skipping over “The Family Ghost” due to their drummer mix-up. The band was truly spectacular, especially in the whispering moments of “Bluebird” and the rhythmical energy of “Swimmer King.” I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again--their energy and style is clearly reminiscent of early Brand New, and it was captivating. I strongly recommend picking up Dialog and taking up any opportunity you might have to see this band.

The New Frontiers were up next. People everywhere had constantly been telling me to check out this band, and the good things people were saying about them were just too much to ignore. This combined with the fact that my brother was with me pushing me to stay for The New Frontiers’ set caused me to stay and get vacuumed into their pensive, swooning music. Noticeably, the band has a younger front man who is reminiscent of Copeland’s, and also quickly noticed is the band’s tight-knit, thick live sound. The songs, mostly from their latest album “Mending,” are louder and much more emotional. For the first time in ages I was truly mesmerized and hypnotized by the band. They really seemed to feel and believe the words and chords they played. It’s been awhile since a live show has really sucked me in and converted me into a fan, but “Mending” is in my iPod at the top of the list. These guys are strongly recommended; highlights of the set included the beautiful “Walking On Stones,” filled with intricate and spot-on vocal harmonies.

I had to run out the door before the Honorary Title took the stage, but I’m comfortable in saying this was one of the better shows I’ve been to in a long, long time—even without seeing the whole thing. Check out all of the bands and if you have a chance be sure to get a ticket to this tour, it’s worth every penny.

review by Andrew Martin