Dilly Dally and Against Me! Rock Boston, MA
When it comes to punk-rock, Dilly Dally and Against Me!'s concert in Boston, Massachusetts last week should be used as a template for simplistic excellence.
Dilly Dally took the stage quietly and slowly, a direct contrast to the performance they were about to give. While many rock bands tend to put incredible amounts of dynamic movement into their set (a performance style that often pays off), Dilly Dally’s performance was not that. Instead, their beautifully fierce and heavy sound was complemented with a low energy in such a way that worked in their favor. Even their lighting supported their style. The dimly lit stage provided the opportunity for the band to remain silhouetted for a good portion of their set. This forces the crowd to receive their performance as it seems they intended: to be heard, rather than just seen. All of these lo-fi elements paid off for the otherwise fiery band, as while the members may have not shown a high amount of energy, the crowd certainly did. People gathered against the barrier, dancing and head banging to the music, even if they did not all know every song.
Dilly Dally
Against Me! did not adapt the same low energy style, which complements their aesthetic perfectly as well. The band entered the stage as if entering a battle, ready to put their all into a punk-rock performance that puts many to shame. The key to their amazing presence is in their ability to hype up a crowd in a split second. Within the first song, people were screaming along at the top of their lungs, bringing audience participation to the next level. There was not a person in site not returning the same energy that the band was putting out. Vibrant lighting and dynamic movement proved the band’s ability to use the stage to their advantage, setting the perfect scene for each song and transitioning beautifully and seamlessly between them all. As far as iconic performances go, Against Me! should go down in the books, written on every page.
Against Me!
