Fences

Against Me! / Cheap Girls / Fences: live in Spokanelive in Spokane (2011)
live show

Reviewer Rating: 4.5

Contributed by: thepopeofchili-townthepopeofchili-town
(others by this writer | submit your own)
Published on February 8th 2011When I first heard Against Me! were touring with Cheap Girls this winter, I was extremely excited. My favorite band touring with one of the best up-and-comers of the past couple years-how could I lose? Just a few months earlier, after a cancelled European tour with no explanation, many, including my.

When I first heard Against Me! were touring with Cheap Girls this winter, I was extremely excited. My favorite band touring with one of the best up-and-comers of the past couple years-how could I lose? Just a few months earlier, after a cancelled European tour with no explanation, many, including myself, were doubting if the band even had a future. This was great news. However, when the dates were announced and I learned that the tour wasn't coming to my home state of Colorado, I was pretty bummed. I really didn't want to have to settle for seeing AM! play a measly opening set for the Dropkick Murphys in a 5,000+ capacity venue. After learning one of my closest friends was attending the Spokane date, I figured it'd be worth biting the bullet, grabbing some plane tickets and making the trip out.

We arrived at the Knitting Factory not long after doors opened, and I was surprised at a few things. A solid 60% of the venue was taken up by seats. SEATS. Also, there were kids who couldn't have been older than 13 in attendance. Not counting Warped Tour, I had never seen AM! in an all-ages environment. It's great that younger kids are getting involved in this scene, if not a bit surprising.

Opening band Fences took the stage at 8:00 p.m. The best way I can describe their set is that it wasn't terrible, but it was pretty damn boring. The band didn't seem that enthused to be there, save for their drummer, who accounted for roughly 100% of the band's energy. Their sound could best be compared to Photo Album-era Death Cab for Cutie, but once again, really boring. Their vocalist had Hank Hill tattooed on his wrist. So that was pretty cool. Their set was thankfully short and pretty easy to ignore.

After a longer-than-I-anticipated set change, Michigan's Cheap Girls took the stage. Having never seen them before, and loving them since I first heard My Roaring 20's back in late 2009, I was looking forward to them almost as much as the headliners. They were extremely tight, and played most of the songs I wanted to hear. My only complaint is that Ian Graham's vocals were a little low in the mix. I didn't mind as I was singing along to every word, but if one wasn't familiar with the band, I would imagine the songs without the vocals could come across as kind of same-y. I'm just nitpicking, though; they played extremely well and I certainly wasn't disappointed. Anyone who still hasn't checked Cheap Girls out should do so as soon as possible.

Set list:

Parking Lot
Something That I Need
Stop Now
Modern Faces
Hey Hey, I'm Worn Out
Pure Hate
Gone All
Kind of on Purpose
No One to Blame
Like Hell
Ft. Lauderdale
Sleeping Weather
A Lesser Rate
Through to Me

After what seemed like forever, Against Me! finally made their way to the stage, new members Jay Weinberg and Tom Gabel's long hair in tow. They came firing out of the gate with the 1-2-3 punch of "Pints of Guinness Make You Strong", "From Her Lips to God's Ears (The Energizer)" and "Cliché Guevera". The crowd exploded.

Against Me! has always been a great live band; it's a huge part of what attracted me to them in the first place, but this just may have been the finest show I've seen them play to date. Weinberg's energy seemed to have lit a fire under the group's collective ass, and you could tell they were having a great time. They were all smiles, as was the crowd. It was the exact opposite of Fences' set earlier in the evening. From the Reinventing Axl Rose-era material to the few songs from last year's divisive White Crosses, every song was well-received by the crowd, who were singing along, fist-pumping, finger-pointing, and above all, smiling.

The band stuck to their usual motif of playing as many songs as possible with little-to-no breaks in between, and giving the crowd their money's worth. Tom did pause to pose for a photographer who ran on stage (who was then promptly escorted out by security), and to thank the other bands and fans for coming out, but that was about it. After an amazing batch of closing songs, they said goodnight, before coming out for an even more amazing batch of closing songs. They ended the night with the first two tracks from 2002's The Disco Before the Breakdown EP and two tracks from Reinventing Axl Rose: "Baby, I'm an Anarchist" and "We Laugh at Danger (and Break All the Rules)". I left the building with sore ribs, my voice gone, and a smile on my face. After witnessing how powerful this new lineup is, I'm considering going to that Dropkick Murphys tour after all.

Set list:

Pints of Guinness Make You Strong
From Her Lips to God's Ears (The Energizer)
Cliché Guevara
High Pressure Low
Don't Lose Touch
New Wave
White Crosses
Rice and Bread
I Was a Teenage Anarchist
The Ocean
White People for Peace
Americans Abroad
Reinventing Axl Rose
Walking Is Still Honest
You Look Like I Need a Drink
Turn Those Clapping Hands Into Angry Balled Fists
T.S.R.
Bamboo Bones
Thrash Unreal
Miami
Sink, Florida, Sink
Encore:
The Disco Before the Breakdown
Tonight We're Gonna Give it 35%
Baby, I'm an Anarchist
We Laugh at Danger (and Break All the Rules)

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

shned (February 14, 2011)

I saw this in Bloomington Illinois where I was forced to stay in the balcony because I'm under 21 I was dissapointed but the setlist made up for it. The encore was good but it was Miami, 35%, baby, then danger. No Disco before the breakdown for me.

ZappBrannigan (February 10, 2011)

Just got back from seeing Against Me! tonight, they played pretty much the same set and included "Because of the Shame". Was awesome.

wallrock (February 10, 2011)

I somehow managed to double-book myself for this weekend, buying tickets to both Against Me! and Justin Townes Earle. For some dumb reason I thought JTE was Friday night and AM! Saturday, but of course they're both on Saturday. I was having a hard time deciding between the two shows, but reading this setlist makes it pretty easy. I'll be catching JTE the next time he comes through town.

misterspike (February 10, 2011)

"Only 4 songs from White Crosses, weird."

From the looks of the setlist,I'd say all their albums are pretty well represented.

evildeadalive (February 10, 2011)

Saw the Seattle show. Don't like the new drummer... Seems like he sped up all the RAR songs to get them over with.. (ccould have been the whole band's idea I guess, but it really seemed like he was the main one playing way too fast..) Plus his mustache goatee combo is creepy. Saying the new lineup is 'powerful' is an insult to Warren, who was a million times more entertaining..

DuffB (February 9, 2011)

Only 4 songs from White Crosses, weird.

MN_DrNick (February 8, 2011)

The show for tonight for this tour got cancelled due to the cold ass -20 weather freezing up one of their truck hauling equipment. Damn it.... Have to wait for June now for the rescheduled show.

Tye (February 8, 2011)

what a setlist. they better come back for that european tour they cancelled.

jacknife737 (February 8, 2011)

Glad to see them playing From Her Lips to God’s Ears again: they seemed to ignore it for quite a while.

Also, that encore is fap worthy.

superskabro (February 8, 2011)

So let me get this straight: The "new" Dopamines' record was released LAST summer and these punknews punks STILL haven't posted one of the half-dozen submitted reviews? But they found time to post a review of THIS (even though this show looks to have been amazing)?!?!?! YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!!

Problematiclogic (February 8, 2011)

That encore looks amazing.

655321 (February 8, 2011)

would like to add that Cheap Girls were great and that Fences is awesome, just perhaps a bit out of place on this bill.

655321 (February 8, 2011)

Went to the Seattle date too. Show was great - definitely the best AM! show I've seen in the last few years!

fattony (February 8, 2011)

Caught the Seattle date the night before. Probably the best AM! show I've seen, and it'd been a loooooong time since I've seen a Seattle crowd get so energetic. Cheap Girls didn't really do anything for me, and Fences were just ok; I had higher hopes for the latter.

misterspike (February 8, 2011)

Great setlist, but I still bemoan no "Because of the Shame". Strong song.

Mammoth (February 8, 2011)

Good, I'm pretty pumped for the show this Saturday. I can deal with 5 or 6 cruddy songs if they play like 20 good songs.

marcsnitzer (February 8, 2011)

definitely will try to get those guest passes tom gives out via twitter for one of the philly shows with DKM

nphilthy91 (February 8, 2011)

So Fences isn't a big black dude yelling about how things used to be and his old baseball career? The drama nerd in me is bummed.

skankbook (February 8, 2011)

Fucking epic.

Good review.

GarrettIrish (February 8, 2011)

Totally disagree on the thing about Fences though. Guys a phenomenal writer. I can see how it might seem a little dull with the rest of the line-up since most of his songs started out pretty minimalist.

NeckTattoo (February 8, 2011)

Don't Lose Touch
New Wave
White Crosses
Rice and Bread
I Was a Teenage Anarchist
The Ocean

thats a rough portion of set list right there. rice and bread is ok

uncle_leo (February 8, 2011)

I am so excited for Friday, now.

adriel_saint (February 8, 2011)

Thats a hell of a set list, personally i could do without the ocean. The encore is near perfect.