Recently, DS sent Deb Draisin along to The Honda Civic tour to see what all the fuss was about. The Honda Civic tour comprised of Blink 182 and My Chemical Romance with bands including Alkaline Trio making cameos along the way. While Deb was on the ground at the Saratoga Springs Art Center (SPAC) in Saratoga Springs she compiled her thoughts to bring you her view on the evening.
Read the full review here and stay tuned to DS as we bring you photo galleries from the evening.
This was my third (and probably final) stop along this tour. To the untrained eye (or, well, ear,) multiple stops of near-identical format would feel, well, repetitive, there are always little nuances which change each time. Onstage banter and setlists vary, things like weather conditions, uncooperative props and artist or fan bloopers can alter the course of the evening, and your mood and viewing position vary each time as well, making each experience a new one.
The first two dates I attended (Jones Beach Ampitheater and PNC Arts Bank Center,) Alkaline Trio was first up. Alkaline are a band that I adore and would see over and over again, so that was a real treat. This stop, Matt and Kim were the openers. I’d never seen them before, so I was curious. Traffic prevented me from making photo pit for their set, unfortunately, but I heard a few cuts and they sounded great. The crowd was showing them all sorts of love, and their closing hit, “Daylight,” was met with appreciative roars and a massive singalong. They’re cute as buttons, too.
Next up were the never disappointing My Chemical Romance. I’ve caught them a few times over the years, and, despite the seemingly endless round of drummer angst, their sets continue to tighten every show. Vocalist Gerard Way sounded amazing and lead guitarist Ray Toro’s sick solo during “Teenagers” is always entertaining. Third effort, “The Black Parade,” show staples, “Mama” and “Welcome to the Black Parade” are epic live. The band recently began busting out “S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W” off their latest release, “Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys,” and that was a highlight for me. With its Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers-like feel and the gorgeous harmonization in the chorus, the song is perfect for a stadium setting. Unpopular closer, “Cancer,” was an appreciable somber moment for myself and a seated second guitarist Frank Iero as Gerard belted out the emotional lyrics accompanied only by a spotlight and the haunting keyboards of Reggie and the Full Effect / The Get Up Kids’ James DeWees. New touring drummer Jarrod Alexander of Death By Stereo and A Static Lullaby and bassist Mikey Way assisted DeWees in providing solid percussion throughout.
Rounding out the night were a band I never get tired of seeing live, (and who I’m beyond stoked have learned how to make their marriage work after a very long hiatus) Blink-182. This band does not receive the respect that it deserves from the older punk crowd, and I don’t really know why. They always deliver a solid, exhilarating and amusing live performance, the new album, “Neighborhoods,” (due out at the end of this month) is shaping up to be excellent, and their sets consist primarily of raucous crowd-pleasers. They’re not much younger than their pop-punk godfathers, Descendents and Buzzcocks and they radiate zero ego. Their songs are both silly and poignant, simple and complex (Travis Barker is one of the greatest drummers of his era.)
Selecting highlights from Blink’s 90-minute set is difficult, as the entire thing just flows. Smiles never leave faces and the experience is just so positive. Mark and Tom are hilarious, cracking jokes throughout “It’s so cold that Travis is literally steaming back there, with his wet, bare chest – I just wanna lick it all clean.” “What do you guys think of Gerard Way? Isn’t he just dreamy? You know what I’m talking about, girls…dreamy!” “I fucked your mom last night…I fucked your mooooooooooom.” Every song inspired drunken publike audience participation, and Travis drumming above our heads as he spun about on a laser-backed scaffolding pulled ancient Roman-sounding hoots from the crowd. I’m always a fan of “I Miss You,” “Carousel” and “Girl at the Rock Show” live, and “Dammit” saw us drowned in black and white confetti. They busted out “Violence” again, which was nice, and continue to close with “Family Reunion,” which is fucking awesome.
If this tour hasn’t reached your town yet, do yourself a favor and at least spring for a lawn seat (you can see surprisingly well from there) – it’s worth every penny, I promise; right down to the carnival atmosphere that the tour has incorporated outside the stadium walls.