During Dashboard Confessional’s spring tour with the Goo Goo Dolls, the band scheduled three headlining shows on off days. When health issues forced the Goo Goo Dolls to postpone the rest of the tour, Dashboard Confessional were able to move those dates to their already planned summer tour with The Fray. Although the headline shows were held in much smaller venues than either tour, all three sold out despite the schedule changes.
New York’s Glom opened each headline date. Led by singer and guitarist Sean Dunnevant, the project began as a full band but has gradually become more of a solo output for Dunnevant. Their latest album, Below, was released this January on Nettwerk Music Group. Blending shoegaze and punk, Glom reminded me of the Smashing Pumpkins mixed with Sonic Youth with a touch of Mae. They delivered an excellent performance, highlighted by Dunnevant’s exceptional guitar solos. Although Glom has been around for several years, this was my first time hearing them, and I hope they get more opportunities like this so more people can discover their music.
Dashboard Confessional shows are truly special. It had been a few years since I last saw them live, but the moment Chris Carrabba stepped onstage to sing, I remembered what makes their performances so memorable. Even with hundreds, if not thousands, of people singing along, Carrabba has a way of making it feel as though he is singing directly to you.
He took that connection even further at the end of the show. The band has also gone through a few lineup changes, with new drummer Trevor Hogan taking over, backing vocalist Abigail Kelly adding richer harmonies, and Moneen’s Kenny Bridges handling keys and additional guitar parts. It was great to see Bridges bring the same energy to this performance; anyone who has seen Moneen live knows he is not one to stand still.
Overall, the band sounded and performed better than I’ve ever seen them. The songs now have more layers, making this feel and sound like what Dashboard Confessional was always meant to be. The set was a strong “greatest hits” collection, drawing mostly from their first four albums while also including two new songs, “Perpetual Heartache” and “No More Bad Days.”
Both lean more toward a rock sound than the material on their 2022 album, All the Truth That I Can Tell. Whether these songs will be singles or part of a new full-length album is still unclear, as Carrabba did not say. Still, a new album feels long overdue, and if these tracks are any indication of what is coming, it could be a strong one.
From the beginning of the set to the end, Carrabba performed several songs solo on acoustic guitar, and each time the crowd sang along so loudly that they nearly drowned out his vocals. These songs clearly mean a great deal to his fans, who have stood by him through everything. Carrabba never took his success for granted, but it also has not turned him into an arrogant rock star. He still meets fans, wears his punk roots proudly, and continues to break down the wall between artist and audience.
During the final song of the night, “Hands Down,” Carrabba would eventually be alone onstage before leading the crowd through the chorus as he left the stage, only to reappear in the middle of the audience and keep singing. It was my first time seeing that at a Dashboard Confessional show, and it was another example of how Carrabba connects with his fans and makes each performance feel special. I’m sure his current tour with The Fray is just as memorable, but this headline show felt like something else entirely—and it was not a bad way to end a Monday night.
Dashboard Confessional
Glom