DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL - BOSTON, MA 9.11.24
Coverage by Ryan Davey
DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL @ MGM MUSIC HALL AT FENWAY - BOSTON MA - 9.11.24
Giving the Sad Kids Something to Smile About
If you’ve ever walked into a familiar room that has recently been given a fresh coat of paint, you know the feeling; there is something comforting and familiar, but you’re excited and happy about the possibility of something new emerging from something familiar.
This was the exact feeling that we got listening to Dashboard Confessional last night at MGM Music Hall at Fenway. What were once considered dreary ballads became thunderous anthems for the audience to enjoy. Chris Carrabba, with his band and the full throat of the audience behind him, regaled the audience with old favorites and some clever surprises throughout the show.
The set began with two solo acoustic throwbacks in “The Best Deceptions” and “Again I Go Unnoticed” before the full band breathed new life into tracks like “The Sharp Hint of New Tears,” “Remember to Breathe,” “Vindicated,” and of course “Hands Down.”
Throughout the performance, Carrabba shared stories of his time growing up in New England, how his storied career now impacts his children’s ability to watch movies, and how your friends ultimately become your best collaborators. This last point was illustrated by several members of Boys Like Girls coming to the stage to perform a new, yet-to-be-released track “Watch the Fire” that proved to be one of the standout performances of the night.
These songs meant a lot to all of us in the audience when we first heard them. Dashboard Confessional provided a safe haven for those of us who had tuned out the machismo nu metal of the time. Yet, songs that once sounded like they were coming from a place of anguish and defeat sounded like empathetic rallying cries for the once romantically mistreated. What Dashboard Confessional provided us last evening was a celebration of how we can all smile that we made it through the tough times, and hint that the best could very well be on the way.
