Things got emotional at The Masonic on July 14, but not necessarily in a sad way. Dashboard Confessional and The All-American Rejects played the second night of their co-headlining tour, both bringing out old favorites and some new songs too.
Both acts riled up the crowd through their own unique energy, with Dashboard Confessional frontman Chris Carrabba taking full command of the stage, and AAR lead singer Tyson Ritter using a charming kind of sass. Not that it would have been a challenge to rock out to nostalgic jams like Dashboard’s “Screaming Infidelities” and “Hands Down,” plus AAR’s “Swing, Swing” and “Gives You Hell.” Dashboard even threw in surprise covers of “Love Yourself” by Justin Bieber and “Today” by The Smashing Pumpkins. I don’t think I can ever get tired of hearing a huge crowd drown out an entire venue with Dashboard Confessional lyrics, and being a part of it all. It was also a thrill experiencing that with The All-American Rejects, especially since it was the band’s first time in San Francisco in five years.
Kicking off the evening were The Social Animals, who had previously toured with Twin Forks, Carrabba’s folk rock band. The Social Animals combine folkish vocal stylings with indie instrumentals, which make for lush harmonies and colorful riffs.
