Brand New makes concert comeback

By Nadine Tester

Flashing lights, screaming guitars and a packed house are not a new sight for the seasoned rockers Brand New. In its opening set for Dashboard Confessional, Brand New disappointed a packed Wachovia Arena in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., with a mediocre performance, yet impressed with a newfound maturity.

Out of the seven songs Brand New played, four were unreleased and will appear when the band’s new CD, The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me, hits stores on Nov. 21. Alternative Press magazine ranks Brand New’s CD as one of the most highly anticipated albums of the year.

Because the CD is so hyped, fans hoped that the band’s live performance would have measured up. However, Brand New has been labeled as a “hit or miss” show, and when it comes down to it, its performance on Oct. 29 wasn’t as tight as expected.

After taking a break from touring for two years, the band’s return to the stage has been so hyped up that it’s almost impossible not to expect that its live performance would be cleaned up and better than ever. Sadly, this was not the case.

Brand New only played three old songs, which consisted of a sing-a-long with the whole audience. Only two of the new songs sounded exceptionally good, as well as more grown-up and more powerful than the tracks on Deja Entendu, the previous album. Of course, Brand New has always made its music gradually more mature from album to album, and from what was heard at the concert, the new CD should be no exception.

However, where the opening act fell short, main attraction Dashboard Confessional hit the spot. Although Dashboard’s music is much more melancholic than the heavy tunes of Brand New, the emo band wowed the crowd with a spectacular show. Front man Chris Carrabba had his performance down, probably acquired from his seven-plus years of touring.

Although his sing-a-longs with a mostly prepubescent female crowd grew annoying, his music and singing was phenomenal.

Dashboard also sent out a tribute to Say Anything, a band it toured with for almost a year, when the group incorporated lyrics from a Say Anything song into one of its performances. Although the respectful acknowledgment of another band held the best of intentions, Say Anything’s not-so-clean lyrics shocked many parents who accompanied their kids to the show.

Overall, Brand New was a disappointment to an expectant crowd and Dashboard gave a better show overall. However, despite a sub-par performance, fans are still eagerly awaiting The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me. Fingers remain crossed that a stellar album will emerge despite a lackluster performance.