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Saves The Day / Hot Rod Circuit

live in New York City (2004)
Universal Music Group

Reviewer Rating:

Contributed by: Brian
(others by this writer | submit your own)

Published on July 13th 2004

With the promise of old songs finally being played again, hundreds flocked to Irving Plaza for the tour stop this time around.

Outside of the room I was in, finishing up a Hot Rod Circuit interview, I could tell that Boys Night Out was doing their “Yeah, No…I Know”/“Where We Breathe” intro as they opened things up. Watching “(Just Once) Let’s Do Something Different” on a TV monitor in the lobby as ‘thriceequalsgod’ finally came into the venue, the band looked energetic as always as their drummer, Ben, gave it his all for his last show in New York. When I finally got into the crowd, the band finished up with “The First Time It Shouldn't Taste Like Blood,” “Sketch Artist Composite,” and “I Got Punched…”

I watched Hot Rod Circuit from the balcony. The left stage guitarist’s manic, floor-crawling energy was the highlight of their set, but the triple guitar emo rock attack and Andy’s heartfelt lyrics of wrought-gone love were nice additions, as the crowd either hung on his every word or danced it up in an open area on the floor like tripped-out hippies. The band seemed a little tired towards the end of their set, but still executed “At Nature’s Mercy,” “The Pharmacist” (oddly played right in the middle of the set), “Irish Car Bomb,” and an Archers of Loaf cover, which Andy said will be on Reality’s Coming Through, among a few others nicely.

Then came the time for worry. Again I fretted that putting a Stay What You Are spin on all the old songs would again kill the moment. Saves the Day, however, alleviated my fears. They were smart about it by sticking to mostly classics in a midtempo pace, so they weren’t hurt too badly. “Always Ten Feet Tall” and “Rocks Tonic Juice Magic” stuck out though, as the respective breakdowns captured the songs’ emotions amazingly. They opened with “Holly Hot Forget Me Nots,” and also played “The Choke” (which could’ve been a little faster), “Where Are You,” “Tomorrow Too Late,” “In Reverie,” “Jukebox Breakdown,” “This Is Not An Exit,” “As Your Ghost Takes Flight,” “I’m Sorry I’m Leaving,” “Sell My Old Clothes, I’m Off to Heaven,” “All-Star Me,” “Drag in D Flat,” and a couple others. There was a keyboardist on stage helping out, whom did some backup vocals too, but otherwise the band looked pretty normal. The entire time, Chris was thanking the crowd for the response; he was consistently grateful (that’s what happens when you play old shit, Chris!). Eben played in that “in-his-own-world” sense he always does. The three-song encore included “Anywhere With You” (just for fun, I sang the chorus line of “Buddy Holly” over the opening riff and it fit perfectly), “Shoulder to the Wheel,” and not surprisingly ending with “At Your Funeral.” They were the best I’d seen them yet, so if you’re still aching to hear the oldies live again, this might be your last chance.

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Anonymous (July 23, 2004)

I went to the San Diego show tonight. It was at a really small venue, the Epicentre that used to be an old library. The place only fit maybe 300 and we were all packed in like sardines by the time STD came on. Chris's vocals were way to quiet until maybe the third song but I and everyone else were singing to loudly to hear him anyway, or care, for that matter. The setlist was pretty similar to what was posted, at least for the first 7 songs or so... Then someone must have tripped over a gas line, cuz the whole place ended up smelling like gas. The show came to an abrupt halt halfway through "Jukebox Breakdown" and everyone evacuated.

We stood around outside wondering what was gonna happen when a crowd was gathering at the end of the parking lot. When I got there I saw it was a swarm of kids kneeling and standing around Chris, who had an acoustic guitar. What followed was a five or six song, all-request acoustic set! We all sang along to "Freakish" and "My sweet Fracture" along with some older tunes campfire sing-along style. It was funny to harmonize along and listen to kids throw in the random "woahs" and "yeahs" on cue, or hear the abrupt pauses where Dave's solos would normally go. Plenty of kids got it on camera or took pictures so you may see this on the internet.

I would have loved to have hear the rest of the proper set but it was still cool as hell for Chris to do that. I couldn't hear "At Your Funeral" or all the rest of the show closers but tonight we all got to see something unique that few others may ever have... even if Chris wouldn't play "Nightingale".

Anonymous (July 21, 2004)

Chris is fucking fat now!!! He used to be so hott

Anonymous (July 20, 2004)

i love saves the day. they are awesome. lyrics and rock out music. its cool, i donno, its just cool.

Anonymous (July 20, 2004)

*checks out Saves The Day again*

No, this band still suck. I was afraid I was losing it for a moment there.

Anonymous (July 18, 2004)

same set as teh pittsburgh shwo, which was , amazing. best time i've seen them. they played ups and downs in the encore , which was also nice.

tomorrow too late is amazing. far and away the best song on in reverie, even better live.

scores for the pburgh show.

Anonymous (July 17, 2004)

Wow a eunuch convention in new york city. How cool is that. Thats what this concert was right? Cuz I dont know why anyone with a set of balls would be at this show. Fucking retards
twat

Anonymous (July 17, 2004)

ah.. shoulder to the wheel. how i miss thee. that is a kick as song.

Anonymous (July 17, 2004)

to the comment below.. "i dont think there's a worse band than taking back sunday" lets be real here. there are PLENTY of bands worse than tbs.

for one, nickelback. creed is up there.. train.. things of that nature. so lets not over exaggerate and say stupid things.

i happen to be a big fan of theirs ever since 2002 when i saw them at the troc in philly. but even if you dont like that genre.. you have to admit there are worse bands.

thanks. have a nice day.

Anonymous (July 16, 2004)

I never said they couldn't be into it. I just said that for them to pretend to be working class or like the people their dad bosses around all day is a lie.

-BSD

ThreeChordsAndTheTruth (July 16, 2004)

Yeah but what about those kids who are born into rich families? They can't help that.

Anonymous (July 16, 2004)

Im so fucking punk I have $25 to my name and dont have bread to make myself a peanut butter and jelly sandwhich.

Go me!!

Anonymous (July 16, 2004)

i heard the new hot rod circuit album leaked recently, anyone have it?

Anonymous (July 16, 2004)

BSD-

you are on the money, the kids don't like to hear that because you're talking about them. The point being in this is, of coures it's great to have money and all but don't front. Kids front.

Punk/DIY fashion is considered counter -culture usually meaning you reject the norms of mainstream society and some it's values. If you are uper class or even uper middle class and do this you are a walking contradiction and you do not know who you are yet, that's okay...when you're a teenager you don't know who you are yet...but when you're a grwon fucking man and you do this, then you are an asshole. I've seen plenty of grown men in bands like this all over town and it makes me want to kill.

Anonymous (July 16, 2004)

well, i didnt see them in new york, im in omaha and they just came last night. man are they fucking awesome. hot rod circuit and saves the day definantly deserve a pat on the back.

ThreeChordsAndTheTruth (July 16, 2004)

on cock?

Anonymous (July 16, 2004)

i'm choking!!! this sucks.

Anonymous (July 16, 2004)

hah i meant to say saves the day. lmao. i love taking back sunday. haha yay i sound like an airhead.

Anonymous (July 16, 2004)

i don't think there is a band worse than taking back sunday. shut the fuck up, whiny emo bastards.

Anonymous (July 16, 2004)

It was a pretty obvious typo. I don't think I could walk around saying "Did you hear the new Aksvum?".

-BSD

Anonymous (July 16, 2004)

bsd:

You are stupid, everyone is stupid, why can't anyone get the name of the band right? it's A V S K U M .

Anonymous (July 15, 2004)

The reviewer left out a lot of weird stuff that occured on stage. First off Chris from STD was wearing a speedo and sombrerro. KInd of a weird choice of wardrobe. He is way too pale and skinny to pull this look off.
As for the music, the old stuff was very good! The newer songs really kind of sucked. The keyboard player tried help the anemic songs from "In Reverie" by layering the music with samples of dogs barking and farting sounds, but it actually made the songs worse.
Chris needs to forget about the last three years and get back to the "Can't Slow Down" STD we all love.

FeatheredMullet (July 15, 2004)

This rating is for a WWF I saw where this dude only had one leg! This guy has hopping around while the other guy beat him with his fake leg. That is some of the sickest shit I have ever seen. These guys are easily the second.

ThreeChordsAndTheTruth (July 15, 2004)

That makes sense. I'm so glad that the 14 year olds here are way behind the US and still like only mainstream acts, seriously, it's almost hilarious how they ignore any band that isnt in the mainstream media, for example, AFI, I was watching their shows years ago and now everyone likes them here.

Anonymous (July 15, 2004)

I am 16... But you like STD's. So what's up with that?

I was talking about how these kids who decide to go "punk" aren't marginalized by society. You don't have to live in a shack or a squat to listen to the music, or appreciate any discernable message, but I think it's kind of funny that most of the kids who dress up for it all, these days, at least, it's because they can afford to order all of their shit from an overpriced "punk distro"... How the fuck are you marginalized? By how you CHOOSE to dress.

So, really, putting on your Disclose patch and ordering the new Avksum is just all so you can pretend you're poor. The largest audience for almost any type of underground music is rich white kid fashion victims who think that listening to the most obscure stuff will make people forget that they're the kinds of people His Hero Is Gone sing AGAINST. For fuck's sake, in Florida there's some kid who is a "conservative-punk" in a Dis-beat band!

That's why I wear pretty normal clothes. Looking like an idiot seems to be the "in" thing with 14 year old girls who claim to like the Blood Brothers and the Locust.

The point of this wasn't to say "you can't be a punk fan unless you're poor", it's that the majority of the kids in the music scene aren't marginalized by society at all, yet pretend they are. I think it's fucking stupid, and as hilarious as Michael Graves.

Why do I think it's the reason the music sucks? Because kids who live in upper-class suburbs aren't the best authorities on "anarchy", or "hardcore".

-BSD

Anonymous (July 15, 2004)

considering how expensive it is to get into music you have to have at least some money.

Anonymous (July 15, 2004)

BSD has got to be 15 or 16.

score is for STD playing Shoulder to the Wheel

ZDP (July 15, 2004)

Yeah, they cancelled this show in Cincinnati... Reggie and the Full Effect was going to be there too.

Once again, Cincy gets the shaft.

ThreeChordsAndTheTruth (July 15, 2004)

So what if you're born into a family that actually has a decent house and shit and like punk, are you supposed to go live in a fucking shack and give all your stuff away so you can like punk?

CrookedSuperhero (July 15, 2004)

BSD, how old are you for christ sake?

Anonymous (July 14, 2004)

Of course you can. Most "punk rockers" are rich kids. It's the reason the music sucks these days.

-BSD

Anonymous (July 14, 2004)

"I grew up in an uper-middle class neighborhood and I play in a wanna be punk band and theat's the most ironic statement of all!"

so you're saying that you cant listen to the music you like and do the stuff you like unless you're poor? you're brilliant.

Anonymous (July 14, 2004)

If you want to listen to punk go listen to rancid or whatever stupid shit you listen to. I however like good music so I will continue to support and listen to saves the day.

Anonymous (July 14, 2004)

oh yeah? Well I saw them play up in butt fuck Montana and they played all these songs:

"My haircut makes me look like an asshole"
"I can't believe I'm a grown man and I still do this"
"Typical stupid song that sounds like the rest of them"
"Lets act like assholes and cry about it"
"We're all Sheep posing to be original"
"Kids pay money to see this and it's funny"
and then we were all blown away for the encore which was

"I grew up in an uper-middle class neighborhood and I play in a wanna be punk band and theat's the most ironic statement of all!"

boba_fett (July 14, 2004)

lets see... only chris was around when they recorded can't slow down...

so this was like a show where you watched a cover band right?

Anonymous (July 14, 2004)

I went to this show too. It was a 4 song encore. Here's the setlist:

Holly Hox Forget Me Nots
As Your Ghost Takes Flight
Morning In The Moonlight
Always Ten Feet Tall
All Star Me
Sell My Old Clothes, I'm Off To Heaven
In Reverie
I'm Sorry I'm Leaving
Certain Tragedy
A Drag In D Flat
Rocks Tonic Juice Magic
Jukebox Breakdown
Tomorrow's Too Late
The Choke
Cars & Calories
Where Are You
This Is Not An Exit

Encore:

Shoulder To The Wheel
Anywhere With You
Ups & Downs
At Your Funeral

Anonymous (July 14, 2004)

ASK THEM WHY THEY SUCK A BAG OF TOES!

Ahahaa

Oh wait...

-BSD

Anonymous (July 13, 2004)

"lol, bno the best? you like senses fail too, right?"

boys night out could fart into a microphone and it would sound better than senses fail on their best day

Anonymous (July 13, 2004)

lol, bno the best? you like senses fail too, right?

analogboy (July 13, 2004)

The three-song encore included “Anywhere With You” (just for fun, I sang the chorus line of “Buddy Holly” over the opening riff and it fit perfectly),

That's hysterical...

...kidding on, it's not.

Anonymous (July 13, 2004)

Trudat about bsd and this show sucked!

thriceequalsgod (July 13, 2004)

Chris sounded like such a fucking pussy so much it pissed me off. He had this gay high pitched voice and in between every song he would go "thank you all soooo much! I'm so happy you still care!!!" it fucking sucked. STD wasn't that good anyway.. Band of the night: BNO

Anonymous (July 13, 2004)

i want to see this band live more than any other band out there right now. i came so close to buying a plane ticket from Virginia to Chicago to see that show tonight, but I just didn't have the money.

Saves the Day needs to come to Virginia. Not DC, not New York, not Jersey. VIRGINIA.

i just want to hear Can't Slow Down/Through Being Cool live.

and then i can die happy.

opivykid (July 13, 2004)

I love Hot Rod Circuit. Score's for them, on cd, and live.

ThreeChordsAndTheTruth (July 13, 2004)

They tour here about once a year, last time they were here they were supporting a lame pop rock band (Ash) so I stayed away.. not worth £15 for a half hour set amongst retards.

Anonymous (July 13, 2004)

Saves the Day as a performing group and Chris as a song-writer transcend the genre they came from and continue to be pigeon-holed in. They have made four albums and one ep, each completey different, each amazing.

Anonymous (July 13, 2004)

Saw them in Philly Saturday night. Amazing! Favs from all their albums. Truely amazing people.

hey_sailor (July 13, 2004)

I don't understand why everyone bashes In Reverie...seems like a pretty solid album to me.

Anonymous (July 13, 2004)

I dislike this band almost as much as thursday.

kirbypuckett (July 13, 2004)

I shoulda went to this in Pittsburgh...Oh well.

- Kirby

Anonymous (July 13, 2004)

Bsd is a pretentious prick that thinks he's the authority on everything.