Against Me!
Against Me is constantly on the road. For a band who plays over 300 shows a year, they easily demonstrate what they do best. September 10th saw them at the Garrick Theatre, their second time here this year, but first in the headliner's slot. The audience's restless anticipation is contagious. When AM! hit the stage, they ripped into the eager sold-out crowd with 4 tracks off New Wave (New Wave, White People For Peace, Stop, Piss and Vinegar), and proved their new material carries as much weight as any song they've written. The intensity they hold live is unmatched by any band I've ever seen. No light show, no jokes - here the music speaks for itself, and they are only the messengers. Against Me has been doing this a long time, and knows exactly which songs the fans want to hear. They mixed their setlist with selections from each of their full lengths; Walking is Still Honest and Pints of Guiness Make you Strong from Reinventing Axl Rose; Cliche Guevara and Munity on the Electronic Bay off As The Eternal Cowboy; Miami, From Her Lips to God's Ears and Don't Lose Touch off Search For a Former Clarity. They capped off the first portion of their set with the radio hit Thrash Unreal.
Against Me's music gets everyone involved. Imagine a sea of 500 people singing every word back to you. You would be hard pressed to find anyone on the floor who couldn't sing along. Tom reclaimed the stage by himself, playing a song from his upcoming solo album on electric guitar. The band finished their set with fan favorites and massive singalongs Up The Cuts, Sink Florida Sink and the eagerly anticipated We Laugh at Danger (and Break All the Rules).
The show opened with Saint Alvia Cartel, a Canadian pop-punk band who played a marginally impresive set. With no help from the crowd, they had some misses, but their genre-bending style made the set overal enjoyable. Japanther are a drum and bass noise-rock combo hailing from the "city of Brooklyn". Their set had singing into telephones and overdubs for effect, but all in all it was very effective. Their set was nothing short of energizing, with little downtime, and it didn't take long for audience members to pick up their slacks and start a moshpit.
Against Me is a force to be reckoned with. Incredible energy live, the smiles never leave their faces. This is what they live for. I understand completely.
Final Verdict? 5/5
Reviewed by: Jostlen McLean
Check out an interview conducted at the show with Tom Gabel from Against Me! here!
