Brand New Plays Moody Show In Denver
Fans filled the Fillmore to its capacity. The sold out show: newcomers Manchester Orchestra and indie alt-rock veterans Brand New. I have followed Brand New since high school and because Idaho is not an attractive concert stop, this was my first time witnessing the talent of Jesse Lacey and Brand New.
Dusty Rhodes and the River Band opened and it was miserable. I get the novelty of having a ‘fro and dressing in a white suit from the 70s, an accordion and a violinist, but c’mon, seriously? The six-piece band was theatrical and put on a good show; however, I was not in the mood for a mash up of 70s rock and carnival music. Next, please…
Manchester Orchestra’s “I’ve Got Friends” is currently burning up the alternative radio station in Denver. It’s a noisy, scream-along that doesn’t force you to change the radio station. However, their set was a total bore, making me wish I could push a button and change the band. Manchester Orchestra was dirty and raw, but not in the this-is-rock-and-roll pleasurable blueprint. It reminded me of a sleazy ex-boyfriend – he keeps telling you the same lie over and over and this case, the lie was the same song over and over for a half hour. When I finally started to acquire into the rhythm of “The River,” it was abruptly interrupted by what they called “the tuning bridge.” The lead singer’s guitar was out of tune; this annihilated any sort of flow. It was certainly raw, but this was abominable.
Finally, the band I had been waiting for – Brand New. Jesse Lacey walked on stage with his guitar. A solo spotlight shined on the cardigan clad lead singer. Chills sparked my body as he sang “Soco Amaretto Lime”. The tedious crooning of “I want to stay 18 forever, so we can discontinue like this forever” reminded me of what it was like when I was 18, obsessed with Brand New. The rest of the band joined him on stage. They were sunless and gritty, but every designate was gelled and clean. Now, this was rock.
Song after song, including crowd pleasers like “The Peaceful Things that No One Ever Knows” and “Jesus Christ,” Brand Recent rolled through every song; the intensity of recent songs like “At the Bottom” from their latest release, Daisy, pushed songs from Your Common Weapon into immature obscurity. Brand New simply rocked “Limousine” and “You Won’t Know” from their 2006 release, The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me.
Lacey did not say much, except for the prerequisite, “How are you doing? ” and “Thank you” in between songs. I was pleased they didn’t shun older material like “Sic Transit Gloria” and “Okay I Believe You…” After reading past reviews of fans complaining that Brand New did not seem to enjoy playing songs from Deja Entendu or Your Favorite Weapon, I was timid that the show would be a chore. Flashes of Lacey’s smile at the crowd and band-mates squashed any doubt I had.
The last two songs reminded me of how much Brand Recent has grown up – and how much I had grown up since the first time I heard them. From their pop-punk start, Effect New cranked out “Seventy Times Seven” and the catchiest song, “Jude Law and a Semester Abroad,” which subsequently was stuck in my head for the next 24 hours (“Tell all the English boys you meet about the American boy back in the States who would do anything you say…” over and over).
Jesse Lacey and the boys from Brand New brooded over the stage, moodily capturing my attention. Even after hearing 90 minutes of songs referring to car crashes and drowning, I walked away from the show feeling happily complete. I’d say the wait to see Effect New was worth it.
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Filed under Top Branding Agencies by on Nov 30th, 2011. 