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Story by Phil Bonyata
Photos by Karen Bondowski
Emo heartthrob Chris Carrabba and Dashboard Confessional played a
healthy mix of it's once-prominent acoustic strumming along
with a liberal dose of sing-alongs topped off with some heavy power
chords. Opening with the lyrically prominent "Don't Wait" off of this
year's Dusk and Summer
Carrabba came charging out of the gates in electric overdrive. While
rarely settling in front of his mic he ran from side to side of the
stage stopping to strike a pose as he sung each chorus with vein
popping volume and clarity. Songs such as "If You Can't Leave it Be,
Might as Well Make it Bleed" and
"Rooftops and Invitations" seemed to focus on
the band's stylistic shifts in style - away from the stripped-down
acoustics of their earlier days.
On "Bend and Not Break" the entire two-thirds filled Allstate Arena
sang loudly in unison with Carrabba's distinctly higher
pitched and nasally delivery. Many Dashboard detractors have accused
the band of angst ridden whinings. While some songs do seem to go
overboard with their dark and syrupy lyrics - many others seem to
bare witness to the true inner feelings of Chris Carrabba.
"So Long, So Long" had drummer Mike Marsh hammering the skins so hard
that the rest of the band was fueled by his enthusiasm. The band does
successfully bridge the softer melodies with the harder rock.
Carrabba, wearing a windbreaker, jeans and a baseball cap, hardly
looked the part of a rock star. He seemed to be trying to hard not
to. Other numbers that played well were "Secrets In the Telling,"
"Dusk and Summer" and "Stolen."
The most spirited music was left for the encore. On the evocatively
sung "Vindicated" Carrabba's whirling vocals and the band's decisive
playing left all doubters in the dirt. Finally, "Hands Down" came off
as a fiery metaphor filled with a passion bent on converting any of
the doubters left in attendance. By the overwhelming and universal
applause - the band apparently did just that.
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