I can’t imagine how this show could have been better. First night of a small, sold out tour. In a place that actually reminded me of home. And the best Brand New set list I’ve ever had the pleasure of obsessively typing into my phone….

Brand New
4/26/11
Sonar
Baltimore, MD

Sowing Season
Millstone
Vices
Gasoline
Bought A Bride
Okay I Believe You, But My Tommy Gun Don’t
I Will Play My Game Beneath the Spin Light
The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot
Guernica
Jude Law and a Semester Abroad
Seventy Times 7
The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows
Sic Transit Gloria…Glory Fades
Degausser
You Won’t Know
The Archers Bows Have Been Broken
Jesus Christ
Soco Amaretto Lime

How many times have a been to a BN show where those are the opener? A few, I’m sure. And yet that combination still gets the blood going. The crowd was into it from the get go, singing along to every lyric. Of course. When the band started into “Vices”, it felt good to know that the all assault rock would be starting and Jesse was a madman up there. He just was really feeling it and it showed. They powered through the three songs in the set from their latest album Daisy and then they gave us what we all really wanted - a ton of old favorites. I screamed my lungs out for “Tommy Gun” and was a bit surprised to find myself not only tearing up, but actually crying through “Boy Who Blocked”. I don’t know, those lyrics, just kill me. Like every single one.

And if it makes you less sad
We’ll start talking again
And you can tell me how vile
I already know that I am…

And then these…

You are the smell before the rain
You are the blood in my veins


Call me a safe bet
I’m betting I’m not
I’m glad that you can forgive
I’m only hoping as time goes
You can forget

I got my shit together enough to sing extra loud for “Guernica” and then the twosome from Your Favorite Weapon got me back into the rawk. Then it was “Quiet Things” which I had never heard live before. So the show really could have ended right there and I would have been good. But no, not done yet. And after “You Won’t Know”, Jesse deviated from the official set list and gave us “Archers”. Another amazing sing along for that one….which led into a mellower but still powerful “Jesus”. Then Jesse totally surprised us with “SoCo Amaretto Lime” to end it all.

Seriously, a perfect set. I never have to see Brand New again. (Though we all know that I will…)