Date: June 22nd & 23rd 2006
AFI has taken over the Roseland Ballroom for two nights in a row and Midtown Manhattan has never seen this large an assortment of kids wearing various shades of black and sporting this many studded accessories (some of it attached to their faces) and tattoos. Well, to be fair, not since the last time AFI was in town.
Kicking off the first night with ‘Prelude 12/21′, the opener from their new album, ‘Decemberunderground’, the band whip up a storm that leaves everyone drenched. New offerings, ‘The Killing Lights’ and single-to-be ‘Love Like Winter’, are sung back at vocalist, Davey Havok, as loudly as old favourites: ‘A Single Second’ and ‘Days of the Phoenix’. And the stage show is frenetic, not only are the lights dancing madly, but the whole band is frantically rushing around the stage, Jade Puget and Hunter Burgan leaping and propelling themselves across the stage and back. It’s a wonder no one loses an eye from the wildly swung guitar necks. Though Adam Carson cannot move from behind his drum kit, he’s a mass of flailing limbs regardless. ‘This Time Imperfect’ brings some calm to the set, the crowd’s voice rising to overpower the soft vocals. All the hits like ‘Silver and Cold’ and ‘Miss Murder’ get a chance to shine, too, and they certainly prove themselves worthy, but it is the sum of the rarer and newer material that really makes the show exciting. As a tradition, ‘God Called in Sick Today’ is held off for last, Havok rising triumphantly in the midst of the pit, eager hands holding him up.
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