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Big D and the Kids Table / Set Your Goals

live in New York (2007)
Side One Dummy Records

Reviewer Rating:

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

Published on March 13th 2007

I'd previously seen Set Your Goals twice: in 2005 at a fairly small, stage-less rental space; and last year in an even tinier basement. Obviously, the five-foot-high stage and large barricade of Irving Plaza scared the bejesus out of me. Despite all that distance and some cavernous surroundings, the set was immensely enjoyable. If the band was playing sloppy (as critics have previously stated) I was having too much damn fun to notice, but I doubt that was the case. The soaring pop-punk hooks of cuts like "An Old Book Misread" and the introduction of "Work in Progress" sounded wholly appropriate in this setting backed by a brash sound mix and perfectly executed performance. But it was the band's melodic hardcore aggression that kept the energy levels in the upper register. While co-vocalist Jordan Brown expressed genuine shock at the number of their fans already in attendance and mightily finger-pointing away ("I did not expect this!"), the band appeared unshaken and kept their commanding presence intact while tearing through their set (plus, "they all love to listen to the pretty music / but nobody hears my therapy bled upon this paper" was probably pretty appropriate here). It didn't hurt that they threw in a few oldies, too.

Set list (8:00-8:32):

"Muppets Tonight" intro / This Very Moment
Work in Progress
We Do It for the Money, OBVIOUSLY!
Dead Men Tell No Tales
Mutiny!
How 'Bout No, Scott?
Goonies Never Say Die
This Song Is Definitely Not About a Girl
An Old Book Misread
To Be Continued...
Echoes

Big D and the Kids Table may have been a massive disappointment had I not already fallen for Strictly Rude by this show. That forthcoming album lent a sizable portion of itself to the band's set list; two-thirds, in fact. I guess not everyone that doesn't receive promos downloads leaks however, because the only Rude song that anyone seemed to remotely know was the raucous "Noise Complaint"; of all the new songs, this also got the only real reaction. I hope fans don't mind that their favorite late-third wave holdover has successfully ascended to the top of the straight-up ska pile, because they'd be sorely missing out. Myself, I was ecstatic and bouncing along to some of my favorite songs off Rude: namely "Souped-Up Vinyl," "Steady Riot" and "Strictly Rude." Frontman Dave McWane was loose and nimble for the more trad-ska offerings, while giving one of the most somber, candid performances for "Strictly Rude" I've seen him give; his band's stylistic change has sort of forced him to overhaul his stage persona a little bit and he's seemingly made the transition flawlessly. Guitarist Sean P. Rogan's outfit gave him an odd resemblance to the Living End's Chris Cheney, I might add. The laces in the checkerboard shoes, however, were surely tightened at the end as the band brought in the Boston aggression on the absolute favorites "Checklist" and "LAX"; it gave the set a venue-shattering jolt to close things -- to say the pensive crowd finally went nuts might be an understatement.

Set list (8:49-9:22):

instrumental intro
Souped-Up Vinyl
Steady Riot
Breaking the Bottle
Raw Revolution
Little Bitch
Noise Complaint
Strictly Rude
Checklist
LAX

Not including Warped Tour appearances I believe I've seen Anti-Flag five times, three of which have been at this very venue and the last of which was in support of For Blood and Empire. A 90-minute trek home, 7:30 A.M. work shift, having attended by myself and already having seen two excellent performances that night ensured I was completely okay with not staying through to the end. Big D and Set Your Goals completely set it off and little else that night could top it for me.

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newfoundmichael (March 22, 2007)

opps, sorry...didn't see it.

mynameisbud (March 14, 2007)

even tho the new songs are pretty good that Big D setlist fucking blows , they should at least play a couple more from each older album 'how it goes, gipsy hill and good luck .

Anonymous (March 14, 2007)

qustion? does anybody get drunk at anti flag shows? i am pretty sure most of them are straight edge. anyway i am goin to there show later this week and i am 24 and not really in the mood to mosh it up, rather drink and watch the set

kingofsuck (March 14, 2007)

Wait, Tom Morello seriously came out and sang "This Land Is Your Land" with them?

Seriously?

I wouldn't doubt it. The same thing happened the last time I saw Anti-Flag in Columbus a few years ago.

Anonymous (March 14, 2007)

Im seeing this tour in april. I hope Tom plays with them again, although i doubt he will. Alexisonfire is probably the worst band they could have picked to tour with them.

Anonymous (March 13, 2007)

newfoundmichael: song number five

newfoundmichael (March 13, 2007)

How did Set Your Goals not play "Mutiny!" ? It's one of my favorites on the album. An Old Book Misread was a good choice though.

inagreendase (March 13, 2007)

Wait, Tom Morello seriously came out and sang "This Land Is Your Land" with them?

Seriously?

Torgo (March 13, 2007)

What an awful Anti-Flag set, do they think people want to hear songs from The Terror State?

mustard (March 13, 2007)

I left after Big D too. They really pissed me off with their set considering i hadnt heard Strictly Rude. Set Your Goals was amazing though.

klonny (March 13, 2007)

By the way, fuck anyone who says Strictly Rude sucks. Its their best release to date.

Oh, and can anyone upload Beijing to Boston?

Anonymous (March 13, 2007)

setlist, as i remember, but not in this order:
war sucks, let's party
underground network
mind the g.a.t.t.
power to the peaceful
bring out your dead
one trillion dollars
you can kill the protestor...
this is the end (for you my friend)
turncoat
a new kind of army
the w.t.o. kills farmers
i'd tell you but...
no borders, no nations
the panama deception
project for a new american century
sold as freedom
this land is your land (with tom morello..this was the best thing i've ever seen. still gives me chills)
cities burn
die for the government
press corpse