(Davey Havok of AFI loves shoulder pads so much, he's got three on each side. © 2010 Dustin Wood.)
Intimate might not be the first word that comes to mind when describing The Commodore Ballroom. It's really a matter of where you happen to be standing. And yet, AFI delivered such a tight set when they took the stage on Sunday, January 24th that intimate was the only word for it. It left me with goosebumps.
Donning a snazzy white suit, Havok hit the stage with a look of pure love and adoration for the 900 fans in attendance at the sold-out show. Opening with single "Medicate" from their latest album Crash Love, the crowd was immediately entranced, hanging on Havok's every word and singing along.
(AFI's Jade Puget, admiring his fingers. © 2010 Dustin Wood.)
Donning a snazzy white suit, Havok hit the stage with a look of pure love and adoration for the 900 fans in attendance at the sold-out show. Opening with single "Medicate" from their latest album Crash Love, the crowd was immediately entranced, hanging on Havok's every word and singing along.
(AFI's Jade Puget, admiring his fingers. © 2010 Dustin Wood.)
It's amazing that AFI has been able to maintain such a solid fan base after so many years in the spotlight. I remember listening to AFI when I was still in high school, particularly Sing the Sorrow in 2003. Apparently, the music gods were on my side that night; the band played six songs from that album, which made me a very happy concertgoer. "Leaving Song" was a personal favourite, with its jangly guitars and angsty emo poetry, and I ate it up.
Considering I haven't really listened to AFI since high school, the way bassist Hunter Burgan and drummer Adam Carson used their instruments to set the tone was phenomenal. They were so tight on the starts and stops, I couldn't take my eyes off the stage for one moment, despite some enticing drink offers from a table next to me. (Wait, I took the drinks. Who the fuck am I kidding?) Also, I mention this a lot in my reviews, but the sound quality was something to be appreciated. None of the instruments were fighting to be the loudest and Havok's voice could be heard clear as day from anywhere in the building.
(Why, yes, that is red nail polish on my thumb! Thanks for noticing, ThatRockBlog! © 2010 Dustin Wood.)
Considering I haven't really listened to AFI since high school, the way bassist Hunter Burgan and drummer Adam Carson used their instruments to set the tone was phenomenal. They were so tight on the starts and stops, I couldn't take my eyes off the stage for one moment, despite some enticing drink offers from a table next to me. (Wait, I took the drinks. Who the fuck am I kidding?) Also, I mention this a lot in my reviews, but the sound quality was something to be appreciated. None of the instruments were fighting to be the loudest and Havok's voice could be heard clear as day from anywhere in the building.
(Why, yes, that is red nail polish on my thumb! Thanks for noticing, ThatRockBlog! © 2010 Dustin Wood.)
Before I knew it, AFI were playing their last song of the night and I felt like a teenager again. I didn't want the night to end and was reluctant to leave the venue, even long after their set closed. I haven't felt like that in a long time, and I really believe it will take a spectacular band just like AFI to make me feel like that again.
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