AFI and Tiger Army in San Francisco
September 17th, 2006
Last night I saw AFI and Tiger Army at the San Francisco Civic Auditorium.
This was only the second time I have seen either of these bands, even though I would consider them in my top 5 all time favorite bands.
Tiger Army was second on the lineup. They had replaced two of their three members since I had seen them last, but they still ROCKED! They played a good balance of older and newer stuff, and a new song which was really good.
After a short break it was time for AFI to take the stage. I had seen them only one other time, when they came to Freeborn Hall in the winter of 2003. That show was the best I had ever been to and was prepared to be disappointed with this show, which was to a much bigger crowd and much less intimate. I was especially warry of the fact that their music had moved in the opposite directoin of what I liked most about them, their hardcore roots.
I was pleasantly surprised when they put on a show which was, while clearly symbolic of their new style, very good. They paid tribute to their veteran fans by playing some older harder songs from the “Answer that and Stay Fashionable” and “Very Proud of Ya” days, and mixed in songs from “the Art of Drowning” and “Sing the Sorrow,” along with some of their newest songs from “December Underground.” I was most pleased when they played “God Called in Sick Today,” one of my favorite songs, but also one I hadn’t heard them play live.
I was disappointed that they didn’t play Day’s of the Phoenix, but nothing could top the time they played it during sound check at Freeborn Hall. It was just the sound engineers, a couple of roadies, and me in an empty Freeborn Hall. Amazing.
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