Say Anything, Saves The Day, Meg and Dia and The Dear Hunter

Anyone that knows anything about me knows that I love Saves The Day. Maybe I love them too much. In my book, this band can do no wrong. When In Reverie came out, I was the only person I knew who actually liked it. And Saves live? Well, I’ve yet to walk away from seeing them without a huge smile on my face. And this beautiful Sunday night in April, on their co-headlining tour with Say Anything, was no different.

The Dear Hunter (Casey of the Receiving End of Sirens’ new band) opened up the show. I was pleasantly surprised with their performance, for it seems that in a live setting, their songs have a lot more character and energy than on CD. The acoustic, folk sound on record seemed to be traded for a much more raw and gritty interpretation live. I like them in studio, but I think I prefer them live.

Next were Meg and Dia, a five piece from Utah that has been gaining a fair amount of momentum over the past year or two. They were a bit of a late addition to this tour, and there has been some dissent about their presence. Some claim they were only added because of a rumored relationship between one of the girls and a member of Say Anything. But, for my money, they proved they belonged on tour with their set. Tight musicianship, energetic performance, band chemistry; they had it all. Throw away the girls’ adorable factor, and they’ve still got it. And while the biggest crowd reaction came from their cover of “No Rain”, I think in time they will be receiving equal cheers for their own songs.

Now for the main event. This is the third time I’ve seen Saves The Day on a co-headlining tour, but the first time they haven’t closed the show. (Turns out this is a good thing, but I’ll get to that later.) For the second time in the past three years, a member of the band has left only to be replaced by a member of Glassjaw. When Manny Carrero joined in 2005, the quality of the live show shot up, and the rawness on the new album was apparent, so I was more than curious to see what sort of influence new drummer Durijah Lang lent. The conclusion? The man knows his drums, no question about that. While he’s not as entertaining to watch as former drummer Pete Parada, Lang is pretty brutal behind the kit. The selection of songs on this tour seem to be limited due to Lang’s still learning as he goes, but he seems like an excellent addition, one that I hope sticks around long after this tour.

One thing that is very interesting to note is front man Chris Conley. For whatever reason, he is so much happier than he was in the time just before the release of Sound The Alarm. Laughing and joking with the audience now seems commonplace in a set. Three years ago, he was just one angry man. Personally, I like him a lot better now. He seems at peace with his place in the music world and it clearly shows in his performance. He laughs off mistakes, and plays much more for the crowd.

An interesting mix of old and new songs, the highlight of the show was when Say Anything front man Max Bemis came out and performed part of “Rocks Tonic Juice Magic”. For Bemis, it was obvious how happy he was up there playing with his idols. Saves also played a new track from their upcoming release, Under The Boards, due out this September. “Can’t Stay The Same” is perhaps the most dancey song Saves has recorded to date, and, if it’s at all indicative of the new album, could point towards another big style change. Either way, you know I, for one, can’t wait.

Now, right here is a catalyst in my review. Either it loses credibility or gains complete awesomeness. I have to be honest and say that I didn’t stick around after Saves’ set to watch Say Anything. But I had the best reason in the world. During their set, Chris said something about playing a song back in the parking lot afterwards. Hoping it would be immediately after they finished, my girlfriend and I headed back. After some small talk with fans and an apparent drug dealer, Chris treated us to a delightful rendition of “Three Miles Down”. An extremely intimate performance, with only about a dozen people there, this might be the biggest highlight out of all the times I’ve seen Saves The Day. A moment like that doesn’t come along often.

A moment like that makes you feel alive.

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