This past Monday night was Denver's chance to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of The Swiss Army Romance with Dashboard Confessional lead singer, Chris Carrabba. Summit Music Hall set the stage for Carrabba's solo anniversary performance and, as always, he delivered. As he approached the microphone, Carrabba announced he was there to play, "some old shit" which thrilled the crowd.
When it comes to bands that have been around for a decade or more, it is hard to predict whether or not their fans are still entertained by the oldies. Often times the fan base has changed and/or aged and they might not be in the same place they were in when they first connected with those songs. But if the songs are worth remembering, listening to over and over again throughout those 10+ years, and if they can still make the listener feel the way they did the very first time they heard the song, that is what makes those few bands so great.
Chris Carrabba included the crowd in the celebration by letting them sing a couple of the songs and simply played his guitar and added in some harmony here and there. Dashboard fans took the vocal reins starting with parts of the opening song, "Screaming Infidelities" and did so for most of the rest of the concert. But they also would have been greatly disappointed if Carrabba would have left out those heart-wrenching vocal blows that he does oh so well. And as expected from all great musicians, he did not disappoint his fans. Being able to take part in the songs that the fans have listened to and loved over the past ten years made for an awesome celebration of not only The Swiss Army Romance, but also of the band itself.
The crowd was also pleased by the songs Carrabba performed that weren't on the celebrated The Swiss Army Romance album. Songs such as "Vindicated" which was featured on the Spider-Man 2 soundtrack, "As Lovers Go," "Stolen" and it just wouldn't be a Dashboard concert without the epic "Hands Down" with which Carrabba ended the show with. Carrabba wasn't the only crowd pleaser though.
Lady Danville was one of the three opening acts Monday night and they, like Carrabba, seemed to have a lot of fans in the crowd. Their fans ranged from those who were singing every word of their songs to those who were turning a curious ear as they heard them for the first time. Originating from Los Angeles, Lady Danville is a breath of fresh air in a world where talentless people are able to gain fame too easily. All three members (Michael Garner, Matt Frankel and Dan Chang) sing and play an instrument... not to mention each member can do both extremely well! With rare and raw talent like that, it was hard for the crowd not to take notice.
It looks as thought the celebration of The Swiss Army Romance's 10 year anniversary was a success, to say the least. And here's to 10+ years of Dashboard Confessional's aptitude yet to come.
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