I have been a fan of Brand New for half my life. I've seen them nearly two dozen times, and every time feels like the first. That's what they do to you.
So when I heard they were going on a fall tour (despite just ending a co-headlining tour with Modest Mouse near the end of the summer) to celebrate the 10th anniversary of The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me, I had to go. No Los Angeles date? Oh well, guess I'll have to make a trip to Vegas.
They were playing at The Chelsea, the newest intimate venue at my favorite hotel on the strip: The Cosmopolitan. The choice wasn't hard. I was going to fly to Sin City for the night to watch my favorite band play my favorite album. Last night, Brand New performed not only TDAGARIM in its entirety, but also selections off Daisy and Deja Entendu. It was magnificent, and I was just as much a fangirl as I was when I first saw them 15 years ago. Here's what excited me the most.
The Merch
Katrina Nattress
During their tour with Modest Mouse, Brand New was pedaling shirts that read "Brand New 2000-2018" separated by an upside down cross made of flowers. This shirt upset me, as it did many fans. What does it mean? Is our beloved band breaking up? I refused to buy it. But last night at The Chelsea, I wanted everything. They were selling TDAGARIM merch from t-shirts to pins to the mask worn on the album cover. It was glorious. I was in heaven...until I got to the front of the line only to find out all the shirts were strictly men's sizes. I'll forgive you, Brand New, but next time think of the ladies!
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Selections off 'Daisy' and 'Deja Entendu'
Erik Kabik/erikkabik.com
As I mentioned previously, before delving into the album of the night Brand New treated us to a couple songs off Daisy ("Sink" and "Gasoline") and a handful off fan-favorite Deja Entendu, including "Sic Transit Gloria... Glory Fades" and "Okay I Believe You, But My Tommy Gun Don't." This was all wonderful, however, the most magical selection was "Play Crack The Sky." This song just speaks to me, it always has. Lyrics from this track caption my senior yearbook picture. I get goosebumps every time I hear it. And to see it performed live — that's just another level. Last night was not the first time I've seen Jesse Lacey serenade us with this melancholic masterpiece, but it doesn't matter, I still burst into tears. (I cry every time I see this live, don't judge me.)
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The Crowd Singing Along
Erik Kabik/erikkabik.com
The Chelsea is intimate by relative standards. It holds just over 3,000 people, whereas the last venue I saw Brand New play holds closer to 20,000. But 3,000 people is still a lot, especially when they're all singing along. And that's exactly what happened last night, for the full hour-and-forty-minute-long set. That's what's great about Brand New fans. They're passionate and not afraid to belt out the lyrics to their favorite songs (which, let's be honest, is all of them).
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Jesse Lacey's Choice Words
Erik Kabik/erikkabik.com
Anyone who's seen Brand New knows Jesse Lacey isn't much of a talker. That was the case last night, aside from a few choice words. Near the end of "Degausser," a fight broke out in the pit. "GET THE FUCK OUT!" Lacey started screaming, abruptly ending the song to stop the violence. After expressing his true feelings about mosh pits and crowd surfing and revealing a bit about his family life and two children, he apologized for yelling and went back to the music. But that wasn't the end of it. As the set concluded, he lamented to the crowd once again. "Sorry for getting mad earlier," he said. "I feel really embarrassed by that. Thirty-eight and still figuring out how to be...Thank you, crazy, weird city. We hope to make it back soon."
Other than the vulnerability he showed onstage, what was most exciting about this statement was the last bit. After all the talk of their summer tour being their last, you never know when they'll call it quits (though 2018 is looming), so it's nice to get some reassurance.
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Old Video Footage During "Untitled"
Erik Kabik/erikkabik.com
Though they played TDAGARIM from front to back, Brand New did something a little different. Instead of playing "Untitled" where it lands on the track list, they saved the eery instrumental for last, extending it to a celebrated jam session. As the first chord chimed, flashes of old video footage lit up the screens behind the band members. We saw a young Vinnie Accardi sporting an "I <3 NY" trucker hat and Garrett Tierney's epically curly, long hair bouncing behind him as they walked from their tour van to whatever tiny venue they were playing that night, not knowing where the next decade and a half would take them.
It truly is amazing when a band that's been together for over 15 years keeps its core members intact. Brand New grew into adults playing music together, and we grew into adults watching them.
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