Dissonance Chords & Dissenting Opinion

I’m home!

The show was brilliant. We Shot The Moon showed up! Unexpected but totally okay. I love them and haven’t yet had the chance to see them live, but they sounded great. The vocalist is distinctive, and the piano sound is as well. They must be working on a new album, though, because I only recognized one or two of the songs.

Phoenix locals Anarbor were also there. Since female bassist Jess left, they seem to have adopted a sound that is much more rock. I approve. I can’t say if I liked them better before or after Jess, but Slade’s vocals always seemed better suited for rock anyway, as did his appearance… :P I haven’t seen them live in years, so that was fun. Funny, I’ve never seen them in Phoenix! Next time they tour, I’ll have to try that out. The new EP, Free Your Mind, is great, check it out, I bought a copy at Hot Topic for $7.

I missed most of You, Me and Everyone We Know; I couldn’t get into the album when I downloaded it, so the girls I was with and I went outside for a breath of fresh air. We got back in to catch a song and a half, and I have to say, loved the banter! A band that can crack jokes like that and pick on each other and enjoy themselves that much on stage is enjoyable to watch, and it makes the music better! Panic at the Disco is my favorite band ever, but if I hadn’t seen them live, they wouldn’t be; Brendon is a great example of being engaging and fun to watch. You, Me and Everyone We Know is one of the few bands that’s better in person than on the album. I regret missing most of their set!

Of course, Forgive Durden was amazing to watch. No special guests, unfortunately, but oh it was so great just to be there and see Razia’s Shadow performed live! The band was inclusive to the point that you felt as if you were part of the show, one of the angels or citizens, rather than an outside entity. The band members were all wonderful in their parts (though I wish the venue had realized that the girl vocalist was more than just a background singer and turned her mike up sooner; she had a beautiful voice!), and guest spots from You, Me and Everyone You Know (Ben as Barayas the Spider and I think it was Noel? as Sangara) and Anarbor (Slade as King Malka) were also very well done; Sangara of all people stole the show! Or maybe it was just incredibly fun to sing out his part. Underrated character, apparently. I demand Thomas tell us his story, haha.

Easily, the best part was the finale, complete with a resounding “BROTHER, NOOO” from the entire crowd, and the final chorus sung by all the bands on the tour!

I’m a huge fan of Razia’s Shadow; when I finally got my copy of the album, it was pretty much the only thing I listened to for a month, and I vigorously whored it out to everyone I possibly could (still do! I name drop it just to get asked just to gush). But I missed the last show in Phoenix, and Bamboozle Left, so after seven months of waiting to see it live, it was far from a disappointment. In fact I can’t wait to do it all again! Hopefully at home in a decent venue (the trip to LA was hell; I can’t stand the Modified Arts in Tempe and Forgive Durden deserved better than that), but as I’ve shown, I will go anywhere I have to to see the bands I love!

In fact, the next tour I’ll be reviewing will most likely be the upcoming blink-182 tour! I’ve already got my tickets for Hershey, PA (I’ll be flying out to visit my best friend so we can see them with Fall Out Boy and Panic at the Disco), and next on my list is to get tickets for the show at Tempe Beach Park, then for Boston, MA! :D

There will hopefully be another political blog soon; there’s been so much going on, and I’m trying to figure out how not to sound like a raving paranoid loon as I share my thoughts, but the fact is that every day I become more and more frightened by the behavior on the left, and I don’t want to let disorganization and confusion force me into silence.

I will be back soon and I will have plenty to say. I just need to figure out how to say it.

While you wait, enjoy the mp3 I found of The Exit (featuring Brendon Urie) from Razia’s Shadow.