A fully charmed night with Third Eye Blind and Dashboard Confessional

By Rianna Chloe Catajan for AGGIE UNDERGROUND | July 28, 2015

In March, Third Eye Blind and Dashboard Confessional announced that they were teaming up for a summer tour, which probably brought early-2000s-emo fans (myself included) an ironic rush of happiness. They recently hit up The Masonic in San Francisco for two sold out performances.

A band called Quiet Company opened up the show on night one. They had a power-pop, head-nodding sound that was highlighted by piano and synths. Their song “You, Me, & The Boatman” was especially catchy. I read online that a few of their members play brass instruments, which would have been cool to see live. 

Without much of a wait between sets, Dashboard Confessional burst onto stage with incredible energy. Each member had his own signature move that altogether painted the quintessential rock band image. I have to acknowledge their vivacious stage presence, because there is no other vibe-killer than a band with members as two-dimensional as paper dolls. So props to drummer Benjamin Homola for emanating energy through his body and facial expressions, to bassist Scott Schoenbeck and guitarist Armon Jay for getting as much serious air as possible, and to Chris Carrabba for spinning and shredding all over stage on top of singing impeccably.

Dashboard Confessional brought out a good mix of songs from different albums, including one Twin Forks tune, which featured a special percussive performance by Chris’s cousin, Shawn. Some evident fan favorites were “Screaming Infidelities,” “The Best Deceptions,” “The Good Fight,” “Vindicated…” and all of the set, honestly. If Chris hadn’t invited the photographers to shoot their entire performance time, I, too, would have gone into full-fan mode, which for me involves over-emotional belting and matching hand gestures.

As Dashboard Confessional’s set winded down, Chris preluded the last song with, “This song is about the best day of my life.” Of course, everyone exceeded maximum excitement because all Dashboard fans know what goes down next: “Hands Down.” From then on, Chris and the crowd exchanged parts in reliving Chris’s best day ever, bridging the gap between artist and audience.  

When it comes to co-headlined shows, you might wonder how people can still have energy for the second band after being so utterly pumped for the first one. I don’t have an answer, but the crowd at The Masonic gave a reason to perpetuate the mystery.

It didn’t take long for everyone to get back into the zone when Third Eye Blind kicked things off with “Graduate.” I don’t think there was a single still body in the crowd. The set mostly consisted of old favorites, lightly peppered with tracks off the band’s latest release, Dopamine. This was my first time watching Third Eye Blind live, and observing Stephan Jenkins on stage made me realize how demanding it is to be a front man. From switching between guitar and tambourine to taking command of the stage instrumentless, Stephan did everything with finesse and flair. Along with his multi-faceted all-black outfit, Stephan blends sass and emo in a way that had fans completely charmed. As if everything wasn’t already fabulous, they also did their own take on Beyoncé’s “Mine.” 

Additionally noteworthy was the band’s use of space, particularly how the drums sat toward the back right, as opposed to center stage where they’re usually placed. The set-up hollowed out the heart of the stage and–mixed with the ultra-white stage lights that sometimes glowed copper–gave the scene a spacious, futuristic kind of cool. Brad Hargreaves’ synthesized drum solo topped off the image. 

If someone asked me before 2015 what shows I’d hope to see in the future, I never would have thought to answer “Third Eye Blind and Dashboard Confessional,” solely because the sound of that line-up seemed too cool and too surreal to ever happen. 

But it happened. And it was phenomenal.

To those who couldn’t catch the tour this time, and maybe even to those who did, I’m right there with you hoping for another surprise announcement.

Words and photos by Rianna Catajan.