Images: Say Anything, Modern Baseball, Cymbals Eat Guitars, Hard Girls July 31, 2015 at Hard Rock Live

Let’s put aside how old it makes me feel that Say Anything are considered elder statesmen now, with their breakthrough album …Is a Real Boy turning 10 last year. That album came out during an era where good emo pop was a dime a dozen, but it quickly surpassed many of its peers due to theatrical frontman Max Bemis’ offbeat, tongue in cheek lyrics. And so many years later, the fanbase that arose from that album has grown to full blown cult status.

Now with a ten year anniversary tour behind them and legions of fans waiting to see what the next move would be, it would be easy to play it safe with a tour of just the hits, but Say Anything aren’t that kind of band, instead enlisting a string section and promising new arrangements of old favorites as well as tracks from their guitar-eschewing 6^th album Hebrews.

The string section preceded the band to the stage, eliciting curious chatter between fans on the ¾ filled music venue floor. “How the fuck are they going to pull this off?” exclaimed one group of excited 20 somethings standing in front of me.

They were given their answer when the band burst on stage, with Bemis leaning precariously over the edge to sing “tiny man, chubby man, trembling scruffy /  lazy man sculpting with my puffy hands / an idol to my pride’s demands” from Hebrews opener “John McClane” with his fans.

The sing alongs continued, even if the unusually humid air sapped much of the energy generally reserved for dancing (at one point, Bemis mistook Hard Rock mannequins sporting Bruce Springsteen’s shirt and a skeleton body suit once worn by Limp Bizkit guitarist Wes Borland as a group overly lethargic fans). The crowd continued to act surprised at every song – maybe since their last Vegas date was a rarities tour – with “I can’t believe they’re playing this!” prefacing In Defense of the Genre opener “Skinny, Mean Man” and “Holy shit, no way!” coming before personal favorite “Do Better,” the original “Say Anything with strings” track from the band’s 2009 self-titled album.

As for the night’s string section, honestly – things didn’t sound that different, but that could be more of a technical issue than any slight against the arrangement. They were a bit low in the mix (or maybe it’s the venue’s acoustics?) so it was often difficult to hear them over the distorted guitars and explosive audience. Certain points sounded less full, not at all what I expected.

Still, the band ended on a high note. Fan favorite “Alive with the Glory of Love” had been surprisingly absent from this tour but made a triumphant return for one night, and the crowd lost their minds in a flurry of smiling faces desperately trying to get up close and sing along.

The openers on this tour were quite diverse, though there was an obvious sense of comradery borne from spending the last few months on the road together.

Philadelphia emo/punk band Modern Baseball, who Max Bemis proclaimed to be his first favorite band in years (and since Bemis claims Saves the Day’s Through Being Cool as his all-time favorite record you know he has good taste), were in direct support. They kicked off their set with a cover of The Killers “When You Were Young,” sung by a seated Ian Farmer, the bassist nailing the vulnerable warble that gives The Killers original its charm. From there, the band transitioned into a mix of songs from both full lengths, with “Tears over Beers,” “Fine, Great,” and “Going to Bed Now” getting crowd surfers tumbling over the barrier. I was happy to hear “Charlie Black,” one of my favorites from their excellent sophomore album, and was even happier to see so many in the packed floor singing along this time around.

But their set highlight came at the end. As drummer Sean Huber transitioned to the pit for his verse on “Your Graduation,” members of Cymbals Eat Guitars and Hard Girls rushed the stage to assist in an epic set-ending sing along and Jameson drinking contest. The whole of the support slots were filled with this kind of friendly collaboration, making the tour seem more like a fun summer camp than a job, and the whole crowd was invited.

Cymbals Eat Guitars were on the receiving end of their own stage rush, as Modern Baseball’s Jake Ewald snuck out to cover the indie rock band in caution tape. This moment was a set highlight, as it caused frontman Joseph D’Agostino to break character and sing through barely suppressed laughter. This was in stark contrast to the rest of the band’s set, as they certainly had a more stoic, “cool” demeanor, confident that their range  – bouncing effortless between indie, emo, shoegaze, with just a hint of pop – would win them a few fans on their first Vegas gig. (“Jackson” certainly got a few toes tapping).

D’Agostino was also the first of many guests for first openers Hard Girls’ last song, forcing his way over fans – and the barrier – to assist the indie punks (think Promise Ring meets Jawbreaker) on set-ender “The Quark.” The stage was filled with just about everyone from every other band by the song’s end, and from the happy looks on crowd faces, it seemed like the Punks in Vegas 3 Year Bash alumni earned quite a few new fans in the process.

-Emily Matview

Photos by Hunter Wallace | https://www.flickr.com/photos/hunter_wallace/

Say Anything setlist:

John McClane
Skinny, Mean Man
Hate Everyone
Woe
Judas Decapitation
That Is Why
Eloise
Spay Me
Kall Me Kubrick
Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too
The Shape of Love to Come
But a Fleeting Illness
Goodbye Young Tutor, You’ve Now Outgrown Me
Do Better
The Stephen Hawking
Encore:

Nibble Nibble
Ahhh… Men
Alive with the Glory of Love

Modern Baseball setlist:
When You Were Young (The Killers cover)
Re-Do
Tears Over Beers
The Weekend + Santeria (Sublime cover)
Fine, Great
Broken Cash Machine
Alpha Kappa Fall of Troy Part Deux
Going to Bed Now
The Old Gospel Choir
Re-Done
Charlie Black
Two Good Things
Rock Bottom
Apartment
Your Graduation