Last Saturday night, Dashboard Confessional played to a smaller-than usual-crowd for the Washington College fall semester concert event. Their twenty-two song set lasted around an hour and a half, following the opening band, John Ralston. The concert left attendees with mixed responses.
John Ralston reminded me of a less successful Death Cab for Cutie, and I liked about half of his set. Their energy filled the stage, and when Dashboard Confessional frontman Chris Carraba joined John Aston for their final song, it paved the way for the next highly anticipated performance.
The show, however, disappointed many, including myself. Ten of my friends left after the first five songs saying, "the songs are practically unrecognizable."
I agreed, and while I am well aware that bands sound different live, Dashboard Confessional had taken much of Chris Carraba's early acoustic work (the songs that made him famous) and made them sound like covers instead.
Anyone expecting Chris Carraba with a stool, a guitar, and a microphone was frustrated to listen to a full three guitar, violin, and drum set, at least until three quarters into the set, when Carraba did hold the entire audience with just his guitar and voice. Many people missed it, though, since they left early because the music was "putting [them] to sleep."
Having listened to Dashboard Confessional for hours since the release of the second album, "The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most," I imagined the show would contain the same energy and emotional angst. However, the set felt very rehearsed and routine - even down to the small talk and attempted jokes in between sets.
The show made me question my own dedication to Dashboard Confessional as I grew tired of standing and became bored with the crowd. It was an awkward concert; no one was jumping or dancing. Instead, everyone stood, crowding around Carraba trying to hear the lyrics over the heavier rock in the background. No stage antics or special surprises led up to the very predictable encore, where Carraba let loose his best songs of the evening.
If the entire show had demonstrated the energy behind "Vindicated" and "Hands Down" I would have felt differently about Dashboard Confessional, but as my friend told me, "I could have come at 10:45 and seen everything I wanted to."
I encountered many people with similar negative reactions, yet there were plenty of those who couldn't have imagined a better show, including a group from Georgetown University who had been waiting for months to visit. Dashboard Confessional obviously has quite a following - enough to take the bus to Chestertown, but for me, even the walk from the Western Shore was too far.
300 Washington Avenue, Chestertown, Maryland 21620 | 410-778-2800 | 800-422-1782