Emo finds a little respect Dashboard Confessional / Thrice / Get Up Kids Allstate Arena Rosemont, IL May 21, 2004

Dashboard Confessional

Review and Photos by Karen Bondowski

The two-thirds filled Allstate Arena played host to the Honda Civic Tour - which featured Dashboard Confessional, Thrice and the Get Up Kids. Dashboard Confessional, the four member band fronted by emo-hearthrob Chris Carrabba, opened their set with the fiery passion of "Am I Missing?" The band let the layered distortion carry the predominately acoustic rock to it's subtle climax. Chris stepped up to the mic in loose fitting blue jeans and white shirt. He could have just worn his smile, which was ear to ear and lasted throughout the entire set. On "Screaming Infidelities," while keeping his left foot at a slow, steady beat, while his hand strummed his guitar comfortably, Carrabba created two pieces of the puzzle. As the music came together, the rest of the puzzle, was magically formed into a complete tapestry. Dashboard cues the audience (or in many cases the audience cues Dashboard) for vocal and musical changes. Carrabba's lyrics are rife with adolescent angst. Many in the audience seem to genuinely feel his pain. His delivery is both convincing and honest.
On "Remember to Breathe" the group set the spartan tone for Carrabba's chord changes to flourish alongside his vocals. He sang each note with every last ounce of air in his lungs. Sometimes the punk-coated power-pop seemed to steer in the same direction, but who cares as long as Carrabba's passionate vocals are at the wheel.
Many call Carrabba the poster child for "emo" or the lyrics and music overly sappy, but all one has to do his see this band live and realize there are few bands who truly connect with the audience as effortlessly as Dashboard Confessional did Friday night.
Thrice let the tone of their show be known on the opening track "Under a Killing Moon." It was heavy, loud California metal/punk/rock. A strange brew that still tasted good after the first shocking sip. The band uses fast and slow tempo changes to keep the audience off guard. On "In Years to Come" lead singer Dustin Kensrue screamed so loud into the mic that many people with their hands over their ears had wished that they packed some earplugs in their back pockets. Other nuggets were "Artist in the Ambulance," See You in the Shadows" and "Deadbolt." The band has a penchant for creating some melodically soulful music while sticking the jackhammer straight into your temples. Jumping right in and not wasting anytime, the guys were thrashing their bodies and letting the music guide them to the next level. Drummer Riley Breckenridge held court as the key component to Thrices' over-the-top sonic attack.
The Get Up Kids put on a energized, sing-along show that many fans are used to. The band, shaggily dressed, beat the skins off of "Conviction" and "Close to Home." They performed some new songs from their latest release Guilt Show, but keeping their old school fans happy with some older tunes. The band likes to resort to stage antics like mock fighting and ubiquitous new punk synchronized jumping and preening. The bands' command of power pop was absolute. They did, however, seem rushed and didn't properly feed off the audiences' enthusiasm. Not until the very end did they seem grateful for the overwhelming response that they received.

Dashboard Confessional

Thrice

Dashboard Confessional

Dashboard Confessional

Dashboard Confessional

Dashboard Confessional