Before the word "emo" became taboo, bands like Sunny Day Real Estate, Cap'n Jazz (which later evolved into the Promise Ring) and Jawbreaker consistently churned out landmark LPs for the genre in the early '90s. Since then, the sacred works of these bands have been bastardized by new acts like Saves the Day, Dashboard Confessional, Bright Eyes and, to a certain extent, the Get Up Kids.
In a bizarre twist of booking, both the sacred and the bastards met on Tuesday at the 9:30 club. The Fire Theft, the latest incarnation of Jeremy Enigk's (responsible for Sunny Day and an underrated solo career that brought us "the Return of the Frog Queen" - which has served Conor Oberst's primary influence) perpetually evolving and spiritual aesthetic, opened for a co-headlining tour spotlighting synth-poppers Grandaddy and emo-whiners Saves the Day.
The night started with an unyielding performance by Californian's dios - whose presence puzzled half the club of zit-faced 12-year-old Hot Topic-catastrophe victims who were presumably unaware that musicians outside of the Vagrant and Drive-Thru labels actually exist. Dios' set was as brilliant as it was unnoticed. The band exhibited the versatility of sounds, from the spacey-demeanor on the Eels' "Beautiful Freak" to the pop-perfection prevalent in "Pet Sounds" and the sonic density of Wilco's epic "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot."
It wasn't until a comment made by band frontman Kevin Morales that made those in attendance take notice. Morales announced that after an exhaustive 19 months of tour, this was dios' last show (after talking to him after the show I learned he was only joking). Immediately after this statement the band launched into a perfect cover of the Pixies' "Where Is My Mind?" - which would not be the only Pixies cover of the night.
Next up was a gripping set by the Fire Theft - whose intense rhythm section of Nate Mendel and William Goldsmith reminded me why the Foo Fighters were so likeable for their first two records (Dave Grohl essentially stole Mendel and Goldsmith from Sunny Day which would lead to one of the bands two break-ups). Jeremy Enigk's vocal intensity also served as a reminder for everyone as to why Sunny Day is so good. Enigk's new direction - more prog-rock and synth heavy approach - didn't alienate his previous fans. Instead, the keys complimented the rest of the group.
At this point I struggled my way down to the merch booth to obtain the latest Fire Theft "7," only to be met with long merch lines of girls buying Saves the Day gear - and trying everything on before buying them. Clearly this was their first concert. Or maybe such behavior is acceptable at pop-punk shows?
Now it was time for Grandaddy, whose performance - despite frustrating cat-calls like "Freebird" and "play a Sum 41 cover" from the idiotic pre-teens in the crowd - was exceptional. Grandaddy's best tune, "A.M. 180," found its way out early in the set, as well as a rendition of the beloved Pixies classic "Velouria." Why all the Pixies love tonight? Such excitement only seems natural in lieu of their reformation.
After Grandaddy's set, I took part in a mass-exodus to the door. It seems the best part about Saves the Day and Grandaddy co-headlining a show was that Saves the Day went on last, so I could avoid their audio-diarrhea.
Why would Grandaddy agree to such a tour? Did they think Saves the Day's young fanbase would rub-off on them? Probably not. This was just a case of Grandaddy under-estimating the obnoxiousness of another group's fanbase. It should also be noted that the evening was a financial failure - the two bands didn't come close to filling the 9:30 club the same way Grandaddy and Super Furry Animals packed the venue last October.
