An unforeseen burst of energy swept through “Royale” in Boston on Oct. 17 as the Saturday night concert began with impressive performances by Gates and Chon, while the crowd waited impatiently for The Dear Hunter.
The Dear Hunter’s Rebirth tour has been as anticipated as the band’s latest album, “Act IV: Rebirth in Reprise”. Hundreds of fans buzzed through the opening acts, and as soon as the six members took the stage and greeted the excited audience, they opened their set with “Wait” from Act IV. The choice of song got under everyone’s skin in all the right ways, and by the end of the show, the mosh-pit was steadily growing with a whirlpool of excited bodies.
Songs were played from each Act (their albums are titled as “Acts”) throughout the night, as well as a few songs from the “Color Spectrum” and “Migrant”. The band’s gratitude for their fans’ support translated into a one-of-a-kind live performance.
In performing “The Bitter Suite IV and V: The Congregation and the Sermon in the Silt,” the Dear Hunter’s signature rock sound met a theatrical component that bled easily into the rest of the songs, before blowing the crowd away with “A Night on the Town,” a nine-minute song; the magnitude of precision that went into that performance alone was astounding.
Nick Crescenzo owned the drums, and bassist Nick Sollecito provided a stimulating energy throughout the night. Casey Crescenzo’s vocal performance was beyond perfection in its consistent delivery. Not only did the lead vocals shine, Guitarist Robert Parr, Maxwell Tousseau , and keyboardist Andrew Brown’s vocals complimented the enthusiasm and intensity. By the time they played “Smiling Swine,” the crowd was not only singing along, they were screaming.
“So don’t give up. No, don’t give up,” everyone screamed with Crescenzo during the unique performance of “Home”. The singer made sure everyone, even the spectators in the balcony, felt included by addressing them along with everyone on the ground level with profuse thanks.
The concert was not without intense imagery.
“Now, imagine it’s 1977,” Crescenzo said before playing “King of Swords (Reversed)”. “Imagine a disco ball coming down from the ceiling and you can’t do anything but dance.” He asked everyone to throw away all notions of what makes a rock band a rock band, allowing them to play the electric, upbeat song that was impossible not to dance to.
The Dear Hunter ended the night with “Whisper” from the album, “Migrant”. It was in that moment that everyone truly came together with the band: singing along, jumping, and thanking the members for the unforgettable performance through voluminous screams. The intense perfection of this concert left listeners, including myself, in deep anticipation for the Dear Hunter’s next tour.