Disclaimer #1: I’m a huge Brand New fan.
Disclaimer #2: You can scour the internet for a more objective review of the band’s full discography shows, but you’re going to have a hard time finding one. When it comes to Brand New, there are no casual observers.
So with that, let me tell you about Brand New’s two night tri-state performance in which they played all four of their full-length albums. The two shows and all the hoopla that surrounded them basically took everything that has made Brand New so loved and loathed over the past decade and rolled it into one 48-hour period.
The madness started with a completely out-of-the-blue announcement of four shows only – two on the east coast, and two on the west coast. All of the tickets sold out instantly, and resale sites soon had $40 face value tickets listed for $350.
And everyone immediately freaked out. Why? Because they had missed out on tickets. Or because they only got tickets to one night. Or because scalpers suck. Or because Brand New sucks for only playing four shows. Or maybe it was because Brand New didn’t pre-announce the setlists before the shows. Or because they weren’t doing enough to end world hunger. And on and on.
Night One – Paramount Theater
After all the drama, December 20th finally rolled around and it was time to get things kicked off at Long Island’s Paramount Theater. The show opened with a forty minute set from Allston Pudding favorites So So Glos. They were good, but didn’t inspire many in the crowd to dance or sing along, despite their best efforts.
Forty-five minutes later, Brand new took the stage. Before picking up their guitars, lead singer Jesse Lacey and guitarist Vin Accardi embraced in a big hug – as if they hadn’t seen each other in months. And then came the moment of truth – the moment that would make or break the night for everyone at the show who hadn’t secured tickets to the next night’s engagement – the moment Lacey began strumming the quite opening cords to “Sowing Season (Yeah)”.
As Lacey calmly stepped to the mic and sang “Was losing all my friends/Was losing them to drinking and to driving”, there was a roar from the crowd, but not everyone was thrilled. While The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me is universally revered by fans, the fact that it wasn’t Deja Entendu or Your Favorite Weapon had many worried they would have to suffer through every Daisy song later in the night.
And sure enough, they would. After a rousing run through Devil And God, the band stepped off stage for a few minutes and then returned to the recorded intro to “Vices” – the first track from the band’s abrasive and polarizing 2009 album. The reaction was a predictable one – about half the fans went nuts as Accardi threw himself into the crowd, while the other half may as well have been rolling their eyes or shaking their fists in anger.
Many assumed Brand New would play their four albums in chronological order, and paid top dollar for tickets to night one hoping to hear older material. When the band threw a curve ball, these fans were not happy. They proceeded to check Facebook/Instagram, text and generally ignore the band for the second half of the set. Many even left the show. I understand you paid for the ticket so you can go whenever you please, but, really? Isn’t this your favorite band? Don’t you realize how many other people would kill for a chance to see them play live?
After the show, many took to the internet to condemn the band for their choice of Daisy on night one – basically saying Long Island “deserved better” since it was a hometown show. Based on all the cell phone usage during the set, I would have to say that this wasn’t true at all.
Night Two – Starland Ballroom
The next night, as you can guess, was much different. This one took place about two hours from The Paramount at Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey – which is almost literally in the middle of nowhere. By the time we arrived, there was an enormous line wrapping along an electric fence that divided the lot from an impound yard. It took almost 45 minutes to get in after the doors had opened, but once inside, the energy running through the building was palpable. Everyone was running back and forth trying to score merch, raffle tickets in exchange for canned good donations, and a prime viewing spot.
The Front Bottoms were the opening band, and they were greeted with a much more enthusiastic reaction than So So Glos had received the night before. They played 35 minutes, inspiring a number of big sing-alongs, most notably on closer “Twin Sized Mattress”. It was obvious in watching them and the crowd’s reaction that this band is on the cusp of something big.
Seeing that everyone knew what was coming this time, the 45-minute wait seemed longer as the crowd pushed towards the stage and buzzed with anticipation. Once again, the band made a less than grand entrance, strolling on stage, taking a minute to tune their guitars, and then finally blasting off like a rocket with the opening cords to “Shower Scene” from 2001’s Your Favorite Weapon.
The crowd had been pretty into the Devil And God portion of the set the night before, but they brought it to a completely new level here. Lacey was quickly drowned out by the crowd, and you could barely manage to stay upright as the masses swayed from one side of the floor to the other. The first two songs (“Shower Scene” and “Jude Law”) were great, but those are two of the very few YFW songs the band still plays live, so things really got good with “Sudden Death In Carolina” and “Mixtape” – songs the band hasn’t consistently played since the album’s release.
The four piece continued to tear through their debut album as the crowd kept the intensity level ridiculously high. Hearing these rarely played tracks live was more than just a novelty – for most, screaming along to this record was something they had been waiting to do for years.
The first half of the set ended on a very high note with “Soco Amaretto Lime” – as Lacey went full electric instead of acoustic and screamed the first chorus in an attempt to be heard over the crowd. He then extended the song beyond its normal 5-minute length, shouting “you’re tearing up your photos ‘cause you want to forget…. It’s over” as the crowd repeated “you’re jealous cause we’re young and in love” over him.
Lacey then stopped to mock the entire Daisy-gate situation by saying “we’re going to be playing another album tonight, we’re not sure which one it is yet, but it will probably be Daisy.” This comment received the hostile reaction from the crowd that Lacey was probably looking for. He then quipped, “add that to the list of things I regret saying on stage”. Based on the grin on his face, I doubt he actually did.
Deja Entendu followed, and the crowd ate this portion of the set up just like they did the first part. Being the high-water mark for the band and arguably for the entire scene that Brand New helped create, it was obvious that everyone in the room had a huge connection to each of these songs.
Save for one minor mishap that came in the form of forgetting to play “The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot” in the correct order, the band’s performance was almost flawless on this album – allowing some songs to stretch out slightly longer than normal, while charging ahead at full speed on others such as “Guernica”.
The two-night stretch ended with the bleak acoustic number “Play Crack The Sky” and a huge applause from the crowd. One of the best things about these shows was that there was no waiting for a cheesy encore – when it was over, it was over.
As the crowd was shooed away from the venue by security, it quickly dawned on me and others that what we all just witnessed was the type of event we would be talking about for years. All of the hype and controversy that had surrounded it, the exclusivity of the shows, and the performance from the band on stage had made for a very special two hours of music.
Why Everyone Freaks Out When It Comes To Brand New
In addition to proving that Brand New still has an absurdly rabid fan base, these shows also pointed to the fact that they have basically mastered the hype cycle. For one, the band certainly does not suffer from over exposure. They have taken agonizingly long breaks between albums, and at multiple times during their career, have basically gone silent for a year or more. We know almost nothing about their personal lives, and have no idea when to expect another album. They barely do any interviews, and the members of band certainly aren’t on twitter or Facebook.
In today’s music world, this type of secrecy has all but disappeared thanks to social media and the need for artists to promote their work to make a living. The fact that I don’t know what Vin Accardi had for breakfast or where he’s spending the holidays is actually pretty refreshing.
While they’ve been able to keep a low profile, they continue to grow their fan base. They’ve done just enough touring to keep fans somewhat happy, yet not happy enough to ever skip out on the next show. The hysteria surrounding every tour announcement and on-sale date feeds into the mystique they’ve created for themselves, and helps them sell even more tickets.
2014 could be a turning out point for the band. They’ve already announced a few European tour dates and could end up announcing a full US run. Could this be an indication of new music on the horizon? If it is, expect even more hysteria.
Even if there is no new album, Brand New will continue to bide their time, play a few shows, and create even more anticipation for the day when half of their fan base downloads their new record and likely rushes to judge it as a Diasy-esque disappointment on as many different social media sites as they can find. The other half, (comprised of fans like the ones who actually paid attention during the Daisy set) will love every second – and that’s why this band isn’t going away any time soon.