Live Review: Dashboard Confessional

By the time Chris Carrabba and fellow members of Dashboard Confessional took to the stage at Metro Theatre a little after 9pm, the venue was basically packed out. From the back of the room to the very front, there is very little wiggle room, but hey, that's a Dashboard concert. It's gonna be a giant sing-a-long, so the more the merrier, right?

The band came out without really any fanfare and kick straight into Don't Wait. Yep, the call and response started within the first 10 seconds of the show. Carrabba led the crowd through a string of his early hits like The Good Fight, Remember To Breathe, Saints & Sailors and Stolen (cue the entire crowd whipping out their iPhones), as well as his recently-released cover of Justin Bieber's Love Yourself.

What's most impressive about Carrabba's performance is that at 42 years of age, his vocals have only gotten stronger. Countless times throughout the set, the revered frontman hangs on to notes to rapturous applause from the crowd. This was showcased best midway through the concert when Carrabba's band mates left for a quick breather, leaving him centre stage with just an acoustic guitar. Classic Dashboard.

More fan-favourites got a run during this part of the gig, including The Places That You've Come To Fear The Most (it was actually tough to even hear Carrabba over the crowd), For You To Notice, Age Six Racer and This Bitter Pill. Though he owned the audience all night with his powerful showing, Carrabba was quietly spoken. Any time he shared an anecdote, including a call for marriage equality in Australia, the crowd really had to shut up to listen. 

It's not long before Carrabba is joined by his band again as they hit the home stretch. Again I Go Unnoticed, Screaming Infidelities, a cheeky cover of Coldplay's Fix You and Vindicated saw them off before the inevitable calls for an encore had them straight back out. After thanking his fans, Carrabba left the crowd with a song about "the best day I've ever had". Hands Down sent us out the door with a smile on our faces and our voices strained. After almost 20 years and with a new album on the way, Dashboard Confessional are in the best form they've ever been in.