show review: Finch What It Is To Burn 10 year anniversary tour

I did something last night that i haven't done in a really long time. I purposely left my camera at home when i left for the show. I have one crappy cell phone picture to remember the night by, but i decided that i didn't really need pictures because this album is pretty ingrained already, and these 10 year anniversary shows have been more of a time machine for me than anything else i can remember.

The show was pretty freaking awesome, but i had to work to get to the good parts.

The opening band was awful. So, so terrible. Now, I know that "blue mixing" is a thing, and i have to believe that that was some of the problem with this band, but i don't know that a perfect mix could have saved them. Let's start with the name. When it takes longer to say the name of your band than it does to sing the lyrics of one of your songs, you are doing it wrong. "The World Is A Beautiful Place And I Am No Longer Afraid To Die." yes. well, no. because a few songs in, i tweeted, "dear opening band. no. love, genesis." It was seriously painful to sit though. The singer sounded a lot like myself. That is NOT a compliment. I cannot carry a tune in a bucket, so to speak. the lyrics themselves, at least what i could make out, were juvenile at best. the only member of the 8 piece band that i could see on the stage was the keyboardist, and she looked like she was terrified. if i heard that this was her time in front of people ever i would not be surprised.

I hate bagging on artists. Criticism vs. Creation, you know? but my God, if you are going to assault my ears like that you had better best that i might find a negative thing or two to say about your gig. Honestly, i spent the better part of the set watching the hockey game, and if you know me at all, you know how much i despise the NHL these days.

The Almost came up next. I was never a big fan of UnderOath but for whatever reason, i have always had a soft spot in my heart for Aaron Gillespie. I spent most of the set trying to remember when i had seen them before, and i knew it was at the Stone Pony but i couldn't remember the specifics. about halfway through, it came to me, and i announced it in the middle of a song. I had seen them at a Myspace secret show with the starting line several years ago. i don't know why it bugged me so much not knowing, but i was glad when i realized it. The Almost is still a bit too screamy for my tastes, but after that first band, it was almost welcomed.

The first notes of the album rung out through the sound system and i was instantly a college kid again. my biggest concerns were trivial at best, and i was hanging out with my roommates. like i said, music is the best kind of time machine. I stood there watching the crowd, being the crowd, and thought about the fact that like myself, most of us were in that room pretending that we were in our late teens and early twenties again, not pushing thirty or into our mid-thirties. I think what i loved most about this show was that finch didn't do another good thing after this album, so there was never really a chance for them to gain new fans. these people, for the most part, were people that had been into the band since their inception, and loved that album as much as i do. everyone was singing every word (except for the one girl that kept getting drug past me by her boyfriend. she looked like she would have rather been tied to train tracks or something. seriously. most sourpuss face i have seen at a concert in ages.)

so the band played through almost the entire album, and thanked us and left the stage. they did everything but the hidden track, which is ironically where the album gets its name. we all cheered, knowing that they would be back out for an encore. they played a few of their other songs (but really, lets face it, no one likes those songs. sorry guys.) and i stood around debating leaving, but decided that because i didn't want to walk through Philly alone that late at night, i would wait and leave when everyone else did. i am glad that i stayed, because they played what it is to burn (finally) and it was a pretty exciting moment. everyone in that room was so *there* and living that moment. from the front of the house to the back, top to bottom, every single person in that room was engaged in the act of singing along. those are the moments that make going to shows so worth it for me. i can walk into a show feeling so alone, but for the few hours that we are in there, we are all part of one big whole. everyone has one purpose and one motive, and the sound of hundreds or thousands of voices joined together is one of life's greatest pleasures.