Brand New Concert Review 11.10.2007
November 11, 2007 by FromTheCrowd
Filed under Concert Reviews
By Adam Scott, FromTheCrowd.com Contributor
Visually Brand New’s stage setup had the makings of nothing less than an explosive in your face show. Duel drum sets, a giant almost African style bass drum, and shiny instruments galore made me feel like I had A.D.D. in a Guitar Center. The show opened with a storm of beats and epic guitar riffs blindsiding concert goers with the octet we now faced due to all the excess instruments. After tumultuously bombarding our eardrums with an opening second to none, the show had just climaxed. Not saying that the show wasn’t great and musically radio quality, I just believe the crowd was looking for more of a rollercoaster ride of their past discography.
Being quite a fan of Brand New after the release of Deja Entrendu in 2003, I heard only one song I was familiar with and the rest of the show seemed to be a song by song journey through their newest album, The Devil and God are Raging Inside my Head. By the standards of hardcore fans this was probably a great thing and an insight into the freshest music recorded. However, for the rest of us I believe we were a bit confused and left a bit empty.
On the flip side, guitarist Vincent Accardi was extremely impressive with his outlandish devices he used to strum his guitar. Using what looked like a tool to vibrate his strings and a cello bow made the most original sounds come from his musical axe. Nearing the end of the set lead singer Jesse Lacey was left on stage to play an acoustic melody with a guest accordion player. Throwing everyone off with the very polka friendly instrument, the band returned to end the show with a wordless eruption of talent, musical genius, and an incredible display of Long Island rock & roll.
Although I felt a bit cheated by the song selection, the show was exactly what I was looking forward to and Brand New delivered on every aspect.
