My Journalism Professor Made Me Do It.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

ANTHONY GREEN - 1.18 @ The Paradise, Boston

Sometimes I sit with my friend Shane up in the lighting booth. Don't get me wrong -- there's nothing like being forced within a crowd whose pressure lifts you in and up on all directions. It gives you a sort of panic that is shared by almost everyone in the pit, and thus a shared heightened emotional experience as you all witness whoever you're watching. But sometimes I like to watch from afar.

Anthony Green has had the words "sex god" printed next to his name more frequently than I'd like to see. He is a beautiful man, but he was not sexy up on that stage. And thank God! Whether he takes that sexy status to heart is anyone's guess, but if he does he plays it off well.

Anthony was more of a giant FLIRT, if anything. He loves to flirt with the crowd thanks to his Minus the Bear-esque distortions, 80s mega guitar solos and more crowd participation requestions than I could count.

An abrupt, lazy but overwhelming ending to his set (which was, by anyone's standards, nothing too spectacular) was followed by the average "WHAT THE FUCK?" chant to snag this sucker back on stage.

Basically, the show was a whole lot of charmful self-deprication ("Yeah, I know you guys don't want to hear this shit -- you just want to hear Saosin") and muted talent. And then the grand finale.

And oh, was it grand.

If I ever see this pulled off at a concert, I'll be beside myself. Anthony divides the pit into two sides: one with one line ("This feels like a nightmare") and the other with the callback ("We're all in the same spot") for Devil's Song. Yes, I know this happens all the time at shows. But check out the song off Avalon. There's a vocal overlap of sincopation and harmony that two people would take a bit of time to figure out. But this crowd just sort of made it happen.

Keep in mind: here I am, sitting on the balcony in the lighting booth. I felt powerful, as if I could conduct these teenagers into feeling the desperation/empathetic dinamic with which Anthony Green sings. Two separate sides of a single feeling: one where you'd like to kill yourself, the other where you feel grateful for the love you share.

To be honest, it's an average overlap on record. But hanging over the crowd that night was an air of bonfire bonding. Anthony probably feels this every show, but he definitely felt it this night, swaying his body as he directs the cues for either side. It's enough to make you call him sexy, that's for sure.

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