As the line began to form outfront of The National, a friend asked me what the fuss was all about. I told them that Brand New were playing tonight.
As the line began to form outfront of The National, a friend asked me what the fuss was all about. I told them that Brand New were playing tonight.
Not only was he surprised they were still a band, he also couldn’t believe there’d be enough excitement to generate such a crowd before the doors were even open.
I sat and pondered that for a bit. Why did this show sell out in less than a day? Why was a crowd forming outside of the venue when doors weren’t expected to open for at least another hour? Was Brand New even relevant anymore?
If you had asked me in 2009, you probably would have gotten a different answer. The last time Brand New played Richmond, it was disappointing. They were supporting their then recent effort (and last release up to this point), Daisy, and the set stuck mainly to tracks from the album. But that wasn’t the issue–they just didn’t seem to be present.
I remember the first time that I saw Brand New. They headlined a show at 929 Cafe with Taking Back Sunday as the openers. After a packed crowd for the openers, Brand New performed to only twenty-five people. They still played as if there was nothing else they would rather do in the entire universe.
On that stormy night in 2009, however, the band played as if they would rather just lounge around and talk about what Audrey Tautou was up to.
This apathetic performance was not replicated in 2014.
Even the openers realized that their musical pleas were difficult. Triple Crown Records artist Foxing acknowledged they felt like they were on a similar page with the audience in their anticipation of Brand New’s set.
Despite the fact that Foxing and fellow openers Cymbals Eat Guitars were both great in their own right, the night belonged to Brand New and everyone knew that.
As the lights dimmed and Brand New wandered onto the stage, the notes of “You Won’t Know” crawled across the room with unusual power and distinction. This wasn’t the band that I saw in 2009; this was the Brand New who once had their name grace the cover of Rolling Stone alongside a barely-clothed Britney Spears. This was Brand New that played to less than thirty people and were ready to kill it nonetheless.
The setlist spanned their entire career and then some. They were determined; they played as if making a case for why they should still exist. “Moshi Moshi” appeared, as did “Logan to Government Center.” “Sic Transit Gloria… Glory Fades” made an early appearance. “Gasoline” and “Sink” made for a fantastic pairing, and “Play Crack The Sky” was an appropriate closer.
They debuted a few “new” songs. I only utilize quotations because a new song from Brand New is probably something that any diehard fan already has, in the form of a bootleg or demo.
One of the biggest moments of the entire night may have been during “Sowing Season,” when the entire crowd seemed enraptured by each chorus. This was after the band had been going strong for at least an hour.
Brand New’s evolution was fascinating to examine through the prism of the set they played. Auxillary musicians found their way onstage to boost pivotal moments like the captivating finale of “Luca” with additional guitars. At times, a second drummer would add desired percussion to the songs from The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me and Daisy.
They applied a particular focus towards the recreation of this material in a live setting that resounded throughout the evening. On top of that, the intensity of their lighting on stage only hounded the crowd to go crazier and scream along to every single word from all of their favorite songs.
I could make a laundry list of songs that I would have loved to hear, but it’s really not even a concern. This was a band I have followed since the beginning, and they proved to me they are just as exciting as ever. This might seem like a crazy claim, but bear with me. Brand New seemed like a band that wanted to be anything but Brand New.
At one point, they seemed to want to forget that Your Favorite Weapon ever happened. You can move forward from your past endeavors but you can’t just ignore their existence. Brand New at The National felt like a moment where they not only acknowledged their past, but embraced and celebrated those efforts. That energy captivated a sold-out crowd. When they threw “Mixtape” into their set, they arguably summed up the set in one lyric:
“And I’m sick of your tattoos and the way you don’t appreciate Brand New–or me.”
If Sunday proved anything, It was about Brand New realizing how much their fans loved them and how the band just wanted to put their best foot forward. Here’s to an exciting future for Brand New, and hopefully the release of a new record in 2015.
