Dashboard Confessional
Article by Ashley O’Mara
Fresh off of When We Were Young Fest weekend, Dashboard Confessional brought their 2024 tour through the Valley with support from fellow beloved emo rock band Boys Like Girls, and pop-punk rising star Taylor Acorn. Nostalgia was in the air as thousands of thirty-somethings gathered at Arizona Financial Theatre on October 22nd, ready to belt out the sad songs that were the soundtrack to their youth. ‘Mr. Brightside’ played as the crowd buzzed with excitement. They reminisced with those around them on how they first discovered Dashboard Confessional, and the importance their music held in navigating through those angsty teenage years.
Frontman Chris Carrabba took to the stage, opening the set with a solo acoustic performance of ‘The Best Deceptions.’ The rest of the band joined Carrabba on stage, launching into ‘Again I Go Unnoticed’ from the same album, The Places You Have Come To Fear The Most. Much of the band’s 14 song setlist consisted of tracks from this album, their 2000 debut album, The Swiss Army Romance, and other favorites from albums over the years sprinkled in. Carrabba connected well with the audience, telling personal anecdotes and lightly heckling the crowd for their need for orthotic Vans. He gave a shout out to all of the young fans in the audience, and noted it must be a big night for babysitters in Phoenix. He shared a story of how his daughter discovered his music during a movie about her favorite book, and how she cried hearing his songs. He stated how proud he was of that moment before dedicating ‘Carry This Picture’ to his daughter, and to Blake Lively for putting the song in her movie.
The band left the stage for a moment, and Carrabba told the audience, “I thought it would be nice if we did one just you and me like the old days.” He was referring to the band’s beginning, when Dashboard was Chris Carrabba’s solo project. He said further, “If we do this together, we have to do it for real and sing it like we’re 21.” Voices echoed in the venue as the audience screamed the lyrics to ‘The Swiss Army Romance.’ The band returned to the stage, and Carrabba invited Boys Like Girls to join them on stage for a performance of their new song, ‘Watch the Fire.’
As the set was winding down, Carrabba said he was “in the mood to sing a very specific kind of song, an epically sad song, where you don’t feel sad after… a song you sing at the top of your lungs while riding in the car with friends with the windows down.” That song was ‘Screaming Infidelities’ of course. The band ended the set with ‘Vindicated’ before returning for an encore of ‘Hands Down.’ Fans relived the highs and lows of their formative years as they put every last ounce of energy into screaming the lyrics of these songs. It was a cathartic moment fueled by their nostalgia.
As the tour has come to an end, it is unclear what is next for the band; however, the turnout for these shows has proven fans remain deeply connected to the music. As fans are introducing their children to the music that shaped their lives, the love for Dashboard Confessional now spans multiple generations.
Arizona Financial Theatre in Phoenix, AZ on October 22, 2024
Photos by Ashley O’Mara
