Anberlin

With Anberlin, music and performance go hand in hand. As soon as the band hit the stage, the air is already filled with excitement as audience cheer, with the loudest applause for charismatic frontman Stephan Christian as he enters the stage last. His only request for the night is ‘I want you to sing as loud as you can, this night is yours’. With seven albums worth of material to cover is almost like a lottery, with of course favourites such “We Owe This To Ourselves”, “Impossible” and “Dismantle.Repair” to name a few. Whatever the set list selection, you know you’ll be highly entertained for the next 75 minutes. Christian’s breathy vocals are pitch perfect as he swings the mic lead around his head like a lasso commandeering any available space on stage. Crowd participation is a vital aspect of any Anberlin show as Christian demands ‘I wanna see this entire place moving!’ as they play “Feel Good Drag” the audience enthused by the electric atmosphere proceed to bounce up and down, waving their arms in the air as they sing the words from the top of their lungs. There’s no doubt of the passion which Anberlin fans possess kindly received and reciprocated by the band. The dramatic lights and the extended guitar distortion combined with electronic beats used as an interlude gets the crowd pumped even more, screaming as they clap in unison. Coming back for an encore “(Fin)” couldn’t be a finer choice as they play acoustically. At just under nine minutes long, this song was definitely made to be performed live as the crowd wave their lighters in the air. The performance is epic in all proportions not only because it’s a brilliantly beautiful track, but because Anberlin truly put all their heart and soul in it stirring an overwhelming wave of emotion in the crowd leaving you with goose bumps until the only word you can muster is ‘Wow!’ With a combination of explosive energetic performances intertwined with beautiful acoustics every time you witness an Anberlin show, you’re bound to be shown a new dimension of their live experience. And with that comes new found appreciation of their material as though this is the first time you’re are listening/watching them and falling in love with Anberlin all over again.

Anberlin is just untouchable to me. They totally bring it 200% every single time, it's always an incredibly fun night when I see them play. Their lyrics are so beautiful and have connected with so many people across the spectrum, I always find myself in good company with Anberlin fans. I first saw them play in 2005 at the House of Blues in Atlantic City, (opening for Story of the Year and Funeral for a Friend) promoting their then new album, Never Take Friendship Personal. The way they were able to energize the crowd of people who had mostly never heard of them was mesmerizing. Needless to say they've been a centerpiece in my life ever since. I've seen them live so many times, but last night's sold out show in NYC for their Farewell tour was truly a stellar performance. They have perfected the art of a balanced setlist: plenty of high energy moshers mixed with the ballads that have a special place in our hearts. All were fan favorites and were a great mix of old and new. 3-5 songs from each album, except for Lowborn (newest) and Blueprints for the Black Market (oldest) which each got one song. Anberlin fans go hard, and it got really rowdy during songs like Paperthin Hymn, Dismantle. Repair., Godspeed, and The Resistance. It's all in good fun, so long as you don't mind sharing sweat with 20 or so of your new friends, just keep it in mind if you're really short or hate being pushed you may want to stick to the sides or back. Stephen will come out to stand on the barrier during some songs and hold hands if you can get close enough! I'm really sad that they're disbanding, but if they're going to go, at least they did it right. Thanks for everything through the years guys.

These guys are amazing live. They know how to rock, get the crowd going and keep them going throughout the entire show. A must see live experience. Hopefully they tour again within the next few years.