|
Review Navigator   FeaturesReviews
 | AFI / Tiger Armylive in San Francisco2006 live show  Review by: Phantom_Maggot See others by this writer Only registered users can post comments 
 
Published on September 12th 2006
AFI was the first band that I can remember feeling cool listening to. In 8th grade, I got my copy of Very Proud of Ya on cassette and that was all I needed. They were my own little band that me and 4 other kids from my high school had heard of and we all loved them. They also happened to be from Berkeley, which was right in our backyard, which made them feel like hometown heroes to us. I proudly wore the East Bay Hardcore t-shirt (you know, the one with the guy holding the gun) to school and was repeatedly called a “fag” by some of the football players, but I didn’t care because I knew how great AFI was, and I didn’t care jocks like that to join my little club anyways. By the time I finally got to see AFI live I was a junior in high school; it was right before the All Hallows EP came out, and they blew me away. I felt like I was watching some modern day Misfits (they did their cover of "Halloween," which is one of my favorite covers ever). I found the make-up a little cheesy, but the energy and intensity blew me away. While screaming “Through our bleeding, we are one!” with the frenzied crowd I felt like I was really part of something. I saw AFI twice more started to be less and less excited by each release (I haven‘t even purchased Decemberunderground). When my friend called me up to see Tiger Army and AFI in their triumphant return to the East Bay at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco because she had a free ticket, I was a bit apprehensive as I hadn’t seen AFI for 4 years, but this was the band that I had loved through all of the good times and the bad so I figured for free the show would be worth it.
People who liked this also liked:           Please login or register to post comments. What are the benefits of having a Punknews.org account?
Molly is your cousin?! Oh awesome! She is a total sweetheart. And of course I've listened to Model American. :) One time at a Nerve Agents show at Slim's Timmy randomly did a MA song and the crowd went so insane I thought I was gonna die. I was against the stage and everyone dove over/onto me and I couldn't breathe for like 3 minutes straight. Obviously it was amazing. :) Awsome review man. Jeremy of Dispute fame is a rad guy...he actually married my cousin not too long ago. Also I did not give Adam his props: he was very Adam like and played drums and just seemed to go with the flow. And if you like early AFI and Nerve Agents check out the band Model American/ It's ok but yes it is kinda of...undescribable "AFI sold out when they signed to Nitro" AFI sold out when they signed to Nitro. Green Day sold out over ten years ago. Who fucking cares. Get over it. Where's Adam Carson in this review? The guy who's been there holding it down since day one? Come on! Oh man, I'm smearing my eyeliner right now. Touching. Great review. Oddly enough, I grew up in the earlier era of punk/hc, so I was raised on the likes of older bands such as Youth Brigade, Weasel, DK, Raygun, Samoans, Dickies, Clash, etc., so I always dismissed AFI just as Misfits look-a-likes. But, a friend gave me a copy of Sorrow a few years back, and I can honestly say that I really liked that album, and because of that, I bought their earlier work. I enjoy all of it and take it as it is: musicians who began playing punk/hc who grew out of it. To me, that's fine because it's not like they were ever these political punk leaders or something along those lines. Kudos on the review and AFI for their success. "Is it possible that AFI just don't like their old songs that much anymore? I mean, Rancid's albums all sorta sound the same (they're not exactly taking any stylistic leaps, except for Life Won't Wait, and even that's not too far), but obviously, AFI have had lineup shifts and sonic shifts to accompany that. Maybe playing those old songs, pre-current lineup, make them uncomfortable? that was a great review I still think this is the best review of this show and what you're saying rings more true than what anyone else has said. And thanks for calling out Ukiah instead of Berkeley cuz I was just about to. I have lived in the East Bay (Castro Valley) for almost my entire life. I have gone over this several times....I know San Francisco is not the "East Bay" but until AFI play's the Oakland Arena or Yoshi's, or Gilman agian there is no venue in the "East Bay" big enough for them. Also, Afi is from Ukiah, they just like saying Berkeley cuz it sounds way better. Is it possible that AFI just don't like their old songs that much anymore? I mean, Rancid's albums all sorta sound the same (they're not exactly taking any stylistic leaps, except for Life Won't Wait, and even that's not too far), but obviously, AFI have had lineup shifts and sonic shifts to accompany that. Maybe playing those old songs, pre-current lineup, make them uncomfortable? All good points. I definitly came up with the same conclusion the last time i saw AFI. Sucks thought that they dont play any old stuff these days. That was a good time in Music when Very Proud of ya and Shut You Mouth and Open Your Eyes came out they were compared with strung out a lot back n the 90's. I always thought SO was better. It's funny that the reviewer mentions AFI being "hometown hero's" and being from the Berkeley CA area because he seems to have no clue that..... when i saw rancid they played for an hour and a half and played 25 songs, divided almost equally between all of their albums. Holy shit, what an amazingly accurate and well written review. I don't think Aubin himself coulda done it better. Here's a challenge for you guys: write a review of any recent AFI release or show without once mentioning their fashion sense. The review would be like two lines long. AFI sucks they went from singing about mom won't let me get a mohawk to gay ass wanna be goth, but look more like retarded emo kids. They suck and should go away. I don't think AFI sold out...I think that their music has taken a natural progression to where it is currently, and in all honesty I don't expect them to play much if anything off of their first two releases. What caught me off guard was their lack of any material from even "The Art of Drowning" or "Black Sails" (I mean no Days of the Pheonix)? Also, Rachel, you probably don't know me. My name is Ian and I didn't go to tons of the Nerve Agents/ Scissorhands shows that Gilman used to have. I enjoyed the bands but I think I only saw the Nerve Agents 3-4 times. Do you like Dispute? AFi is the definition of disappointing "their triumphant return to the East Bay at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco" "AFI is the definition of a sellout". "I'm sick of all these fucks saying how great afi was and how torn up they are because the band doesn't play what you want to hear anymore. so you bought some of the early albums and maybe you saw them when they toured under shut your mouth and open your eyes. big fucking deal. your argument is stale. get the fuck over it already. crying like a bunch of bitches isn't going to change anything." oh, and since when was '99 "the day"? davey broke his punk vocal chord so he can't sing anything old-school anymore. sorry. but let me add, afi was always a 2nd rate nerve agents http://www.punkrockvids.com/?mod=videos&subid=archive ill admit, sing the sorrow was a great album, but the new one is just horrid This review sums up everything that is wrong with music and the state of the "scene" Yeah, I guess. Anything earlier is referred to as "stuff from before they were cool". Are we supposed to refer to 'sing the sorrow' as AFI's 'first album', now? this review really summarizes all the conflicts i have with this band. i was obsessed with afi after 'shut your mouth...' and like this dude, i have found it difficult to let them go with the evolved sound and mainstream success of their last 2 albums. oh well... so what's up with eric ozenne? As an aside, I phoned someone who was going to see this show right before they went in. I was way too drunk to remember the conversation, but apparently they said hi to Saosin for me. Awesome. "I'm sick of all these fucks saying how great afi was and how torn up they are because the band doesn't play what you want to hear anymore. so you bought some of the early albums and maybe you saw them when they toured under shut your mouth and open your eyes. big fucking deal. your argument is stale. get the fuck over it already. crying like a bunch of bitches isn't going to change anything." Great review...not like many of the people here would care but the red hot chilli peppers do the same thing. They only play like their last 2 or 3 albums live. AFI is the definition of a sellout. The fact I'm only 14 mean I never could have seen Very Proud Of Ya... done live but I bet it was amazing. I have to know you. You basically wrote the review from the mouths of me and my ten friends who decided we paid $25 to see each other all in the same room that nite. The next nite in Santa Cruz was better because the venue was much smaller, but you summed up how I feel about the roads we're on perfectly. I'm sick of all these fucks saying how great afi was and how torn up they are because the band doesn't play what you want to hear anymore. so you bought some of the early albums and maybe you saw them when they toured under shut your mouth and open your eyes. big fucking deal. your argument is stale. get the fuck over it already. crying like a bunch of bitches isn't going to change anything. Oh, and also, I woulda killed to see Tiger Army play In The Orchard when I saw them, I love that song. Yeah, good review. I'm seeing them in a month and kinda regretting it, although I saw them in 2003 just before STS came out and got to hear a few old tracks, so I'm not too bummed. AFI did a big fat shit on all of their old fans. It was called Decemberunderground. I last saw AFI on the Strike ANywhere/ Explosion tour, right when AFI was getting big. Waste of time. For some reason Jade was tuned a half step down and Huter wasnt. Amazing review. I actually kind of like some of the new songs, but for the most part, I share your sentiments. Great review, but I feel a lot more bitter towards AFI than you do. Probably because I somehow managed to never see them live until this year, so there's a good chance I'll never see any of my favorite AFI songs live. Yeah I know that I am from/live in Castro Valley...but they aren't playing in the East Bay anytime soon that I know of. San Francisco is the West Bay, not the East Bay. Just sayin'... Great review, I feel the same way about AFI, although I did talk my share of shit as they went their new direction. I was dissapointed, I guess. Thinking back to their shows in the day... some great times, good memories. Saw them with Strife in like 97 or 98, absolutely amazing. Also saw them with At the Drive-In and Good Riddance around the time "Ballads from the Revolution" and "A Fire Inside EP" were released, wish I could go back in time for that. Oh yeah saw them open for Sick of it All once, Rancid once, and 88 Fingers Louie but they broke up for the second time the day before. That was lame. you put into words what i feel too. its sad, but what can ya do? good job on the review. Ditto. What happened to the Halloween shows in the Bay Area? That review was really good, very proud of ya is an amazing CD. Bummer. Great review, but I honestly have no desire to ever see AFI again. I can appreciate the new material, but when a band more or less abandons their roots, and doesn't even acknowledge an amazingly extensive back catalog, I lose interest. You basically put to words what I feel. Good job. |
