Brand New - Webster Hall, 7/28/06

First, an admission of guilt. Almost always, I like to try to get to shows early enough to see every band that's playing. Sure, you sit through some stinkers that way, but I've also discovered some of my favorite bands by seeing them open shows. But at Webster Hall, doors open at 6:30 for shows because they have to end early enough for the venue to go Optimus-Prime and transform into a dance club until whatever ungodly hour those kids get tired. And I wasn't able to get there until around 8. Let's just say it involved some liverwurst sandwiches. I don't want to talk about it.

So I saw two bands. I don't even really know if there had been one on before I got there or they just made those poor emo kids wait a couple hours before the music started.

Colour Revolt, from Mississippi, was, put briefly, pretty rad. Loud, but melodic. 3 guitars. Screaming. And a kick-ass drummer. A++++++ EXCELLENT EBAYER WOULD DO BIZ WITH AGAIN!!!

And, during Colour Revolt's last song, they were joined on stage by the guys from Brand New. The last night of a tour is the best night to see a tour, for reasons like this. Garrett (bass) maintained his reputation for being the absolute weirdo in the band by wearing a silver mexican wrestling mask. One time that guy handed me my ASS in beer-pong. I don't want to talk about that either.

Ok, so Brand New. Since I'm a borderline lame-o fan-boy, I'm going to skip the "review" part to spare you the blubbering, and just list the highlights:

• An acoustic verse from "Ziggy Stardust." Most of the audience looked confused.


• Guitars thrown EVERYWHERE.


• A trashed drumset before the end of the show (one of the flying guitars).


• The announcement at the beginning of the 5 song encore: "We're called Brand New. The show begins now."


• A solo, mellowed out, and seemingly unplanned version of "Jude Law and a Semester Abroad."


• While the band seemed to trod perfunctorily through some of the older stuff, they really seemed to come to life with the new songs they played, and their energy transferred right over to a crowd that's been starving for a new record for years. It's not always the case that the new/unknown music is the best part of the show. This time it was.


• This one really might be me being crazy: I know Jesse Lacey loves Springsteen, just like me. Before one song he stood up on stage and said "How you all doing tonight? [cheers] That's good. [more cheers] This is...uh..." in the exact same tone/cadence the Boss uses at the beginning of "The River" on the Live 75-85 set. It was too uncanny to have been an accident. And as I've often said, who better to imitate than Bruce? Nobody, that's who.

It wasn't a perfect show. There were some potty guys to my right who WOULD NOT STOP YELLING SONG NAMES, which is basically the douchiest thing you can do (and if you're the type of guy who does that, kindly punch yourself in the face). And it was hot as hell in there. But man, oh man, was it good.

Look for a new record from Brand New this fall. It's been a long time coming. And if this show was any indication, it should be worth the wait.