By: Jim Brunzell III
Singer, guitarist, and chief songwriter of the 4-piece power pop punk band Saves the Day, Chris Conley, looked calm and relaxed as he appeared on stage, even though the sold-out crowd was yelling and screaming his name as he reached for his guitar. Conley, sporting a new hairstyle (a hot-pink dye job), was joined by guitarist David Soloway, drummer Pete Parada, and their newest band member, bass player Manny Carrero, who resembles a younger Tom Morello. Carrero, formerly of Glassjaw, replaced bassist Eben D’Amico, who left after six years of playing with STD. Each member looked confident and poised to play for the all-ages crowd. The New Jersey band was touring in support of their latest album, Sound the Alarm.
Without saying a word, Conley and Soloway began playing the opening riff of "All-Star Me"” The crowd jumped around, pushed one another, and gyrated their way toward the front of the stage once the chord progression began and Conley began singing. Within a matter of seconds, the sound felt much crisper and louder than any of the previous STD shows I’d seen in the past.
"This is the second song off our new cd. It's called "The End," Conley said immediately after their first song had finished. As the song started, only a handful of people in the crowd seemed to be familiar with the song; they seemed to wait to hear its opening before they decided to jump around again. The song didn’t stop STD from turning some heads in the audience, though, with its faster tempo, raucous lyrics, and jarring bass line that took most of the crowd by surprise. The first two songs were over in less than four minutes.
The third song, "At Your Funeral," started the first of many sing-a-long songs to come during the set. What was a modest hit for the band back in 2001 was now livelier, and seemed to sound better than when it was first released. The rhythm section of STD had a tighter sound than in recent memory, and showcased a fluent style that had been lacking in STD the past couple years.
Saves the Day have been around since 1998 and have six albums (seven, if you include the all-acoustic EP, I'm Sorry, I'm Leaving) under their belt, which made it easier for them to mix in older and newer songs for the audience. Conley asked the crowd at one point, "How many of you have our first album?" A handful of fans raised their arms and Conley said, "This is for you," as they played "Deciding." They also played older songs such as "Sell My Clothes, I'm Off to Heaven," "Holly Hox, Forget Me Nots," and an aggressive acoustic performance of "Jessie & My Whetstone." They also played more recent material like "Anywhere with You" and "See You."
Conley thanked the crowd numerous times, citing that he enjoyed the more intimate venue and playing in front of a small yet energized crowd. During the set, STD witnessed crowd surfing and a man who put a young lady onto his shoulders, as if the STD show had suddenly turned into a Bon Jovi show. STD were definitely entertaining during its vigorous 50 minute set, but after hearing “The End” I was more than impressed and craved more songs off the new album, rather than the older material. If anything, the concert proved that the songs off Sound the Alarm translate well in concert and bring a long overdue return back to the STD sound.
When they did come back for a much-deserved encore, STD might have saved their best song for last when they belted out "Ups & Downs," with Conley and Soloway shaking and twisting around on stage. It was refreshing to see that, after all these years, Saves the Day brought some new moves (if shaking and twisting qualify as dance moves) to accompany their new sound.
Set List:
1. All-Star Me
2. The End
3. At Your Funeral
4. See You
5. Third Engine
6. Sell My Clothes, I’m off to Heaven
7. Head for the Hills
8. Deciding
9. All I’m Losing is Me
10. Where Are You?
11. Don’t Know Why?
12. Jessie & the Whetstone (Acoustic)
13. Nightingale
14. Sound the Alarm
15. Holly Hox, Forget Me Nots
16. Tomorrow Too Late
17. Banned from the Back Porch
Encore:
18. Anywhere With You
19. Ups & Downs
Photo by Jim Brunzell III.
Location Info:
Triple Rock Social Club
Artist Info: Saves the Day
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