As soon as The Front Bottoms announced a U.S. leg of their Going Grey Tour with Basement and Bad Bad Hats, I snagged presale tickets as quickly as I could. The Front Bottoms had already been to Boston two times including Boston Calling and I missed them every time around, so this was not an offer I could pass up. After all, they are and still stand as my favorite band.
Oct. 19, The Front Bottoms kicked off their tour with a bang with a well-received show at the House of Blues. This smaller venue was perfect for the intimacy of this kind of alternative band. The energy of the crowd was insane and absolutely perfect at the same time. There was moshing, jumping, rocking, stomping, anything cathartic that expressed the intensity of the music. I loved being out of the floor in the midst of it all.
After two captivating sets by the featuring bands, the Front Bottoms came on to bring the House (of Blues) down. It felt unreal. The set was a diverse mix of new songs on the “Going Grey” album and old goldies like “The Plan (F**k Jobs),” “Laugh Til I Cry” and “Flashlight.” There was not one closed mouth in the venue, just one collective voice shouting each lyric out along with the lead singer, Brian Sella. It was amazing to see what seemed like an otherwise collected or introverted crowd of people jam out to such a quality band. I felt wholly connected to everyone in the room. Unlike most well-known bands and artists, the Front Bottoms didn’t have an elaborate set with moving bells and whistles, just a lighting system and basic instruments. But they needed nothing more, this along with their lyrics and the high-energy of the room was more than enough.
Overall, I highly recommend getting out to see a set put on by this band. I had tons of fun and ended up with little voice left (I swear it was worth it!) from all the excitement. With that being said, cue the post-concert blues.