Live Review: Say Anything

by | Apr 16, 2012 | Concerts & Festivals, Reviews

Where: House of Blues Boston

When: April 14, 2012

I have been fortunate enough to see Say Anything live prior to this three times. My first experience was when …Is a Real Boy was first released, and they played at a tiny New York club to a max of 30 disgustingly dedicated fans all forming a mosh pit around the stage.The next was at a TV show taping for Fuse (also in New York)—an occasion symbolizing a significant step on their indie musician ladder. The last was to a sold out crowd on Halloween night a couple of years back at House of Blues in Boston—but all I remember is being drunk beyond comprehension and getting into a fight on the floor [editor’s note -that sounds about right].

The fourth time around, I made it a point to be sober to observe their live evolution. And what an evolution it was—a noticeably muscular Max Bemis had the audience eating out of his palm as him and his crew entertained us with oldies like “Spidersong,” “Slumming It With Johnny,” “Wow,  I Can Get Sexual Too,” and “Admit It” while giving the new songs a spin (“ So Good,” title track from their newest album “Anarchy, My Dear” “Say Anything” and “Admit It Again”).  There were songs that spawned a totally interactive audience sing along (“Every Man Has A Molly,” “Alive With The Glory of Love,” “Shiska (Girlfriend),” A Walk Through Hell”) but I longed for the stoner classic “Yellow Cat/Red Cat” and the fiery “Skinny, Mean Man.” But the fact that Say Anything can bring together punk kids and bro-dudes alike (some sporting popped collars and sunglasses) to harmonize and dance to their songs made that longing somewhat tolerable.