Dashboard Confessional Allstate Arena Review

Thursday, October 23, 2008
By Aaron Keker

ALLSTATE ARENA, Rosemont – Last evening, Dashboard Confessional performed for several thousand screaming Rock Band Live tour enthusiasts at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois.

About fifteen minutes before Dashboard Confessional was to perform, two teenage bands performing Alanis Morissette and Bon Jovi on Rock Band entertained us.

Dashboard Confessional’s evening commenced the moment Chris Carrabba bursted into the first verse of “Don’t Wait.”

Unlike two years ago, Chris changed his appearance by wearing a Corduroy Fedora, instead of the baseball cap.

In fact, Dashboard Confessional played some of their newer songs from The Shade of Poison Trees, which was a welcome change. Dashboard Confessional performed “These Bones,” “Thick as Thieves” and “The Widow’s Peak.”

Chris Carrabba was even multi-talented as he entertained the audience between playing electrically, then acoustically and finally on the piano.

The electricity started with “Don’t Wait” to “These Bones” and then Chris performed on his acoustic guitar “Thick as Thieves” and “Screaming Infidelities.” Finally, Chris performed on the piano “The Widow’s Peak.”

Dashboard Confessional even surprised the audience with a cover of P!nk’s “So What” rather than Weezer’s “El Scorcho.” As Chris sang, “I’m a rock star,” it really signified who Chris Carrabba and Dashboard Confessional really are as musicians.

Whether you want to label Dashboard Confessional or Chris Carrabba as an emo musician, band or whatever, they are still rock stars. Just look at the people hovering around the buses like swarms of bees after the show awaiting the opportunity to hopefully meet Chris and his band mates.

Finally, I do have one complaint that had nothing to do with Dashboard Confessional’s performance. As the Rock Band Live tour continues, I really hope that the soundboard turns the instruments a decibel level or two down so you can hear Chris Carrabba’s vocals clearer. There were instances where you could not hear Chris’s vocals clearly because the instrument decibel level was too high, which forced him into completion with the instruments.