Say Anything sure is something

Say Anything’s phenomenal talent and infectious energy showed during its house-rocking performance at The Republic New Orleans last Sunday. The show was one of the final stops on the band’s national tour, which also featured Miniature Tigers, Moneen and Eisley.

Phoenix, Ariz.’s Miniature Tigers started off the show the right way. Fully realizing their position despite being the least-known act, the band was non-conversational and humble on stage by letting their soft indie rock d0 the talking. The band’s catchy pop melodies weren’t too sugary, and their upbeat rhythms gave the songs a warm and cheerful side.

Following Miniature Tigers was Moneen, hailing from Canada. The band played an intensely dramatic set that fell on uninterested ears. Though the group played their hearts out on stage, their music lacked that poppy hook present in great emo-rock.

Eisley appeared next presenting their Texan indie rock sound. The group enchanted listeners at the venue with its haunting melodies, woven in with the smooth vocals of the band’s three female singers and front woman Stacy Dupree’s fluid keyboard. Though Eisley’s rhythm section was bland, the girls in the front of the stage more than made up for it.

After a warm farewell to Eisley, Say Anything took the stage with gusto. The band played a well-chosen mix from their repertoire, performing a distribution of hits from its three albums and diversifying the set with up-tempo and slower paced favorites. The group drew the crowd into a frenzy as soon as it plucked the opening guitar riff of “Alive With The Glory of Love,” then slowed things down when frontman Max Bemis brought his wife Sherri Dupree on stage to help sing “Cemetery.” Bemis and his band forged a genuine connection with the fans during this sentimental tune from the band’s latest album, turning the venue into a massive sing-along.

Bemis thanked his fans at the concert for reinvigorating the band members on the last leg of their tour. He showed his gratitude by drawing the audience into his sweaty arms and sharing the microphone with the front-row. Toward the end of the show, the band tuned down the wild excitement and increased the emotion, closing with “Ahh… Men,” from their new self-titled album. Bemis took over the stage alone with his guitar for two additional numbers, including a rarely heard song he wrote when he was only 17. This conclusion caused the plethora of teen girls in the audience to break out in a collective swoon, though they disappointingly failed to launch into one of its hard-rocking anthems such as “Spidersong” for an encore. Nevertheless, Say Anything put on an electrifying performance.=