Carrabba, Dashboard Confessional put on upbeat, emotional gig

By Derek Paiva
Advertiser Staff Writer

Chris Carrabba writes songs that make the whole world sing.

He writes songs of love (mostly the end of it) and special things (lies and the lying ex-lover liars who tell them).

And last night, as he does every evening with his Dashboard Confessional mates, he sang songs that made a few of the young girls — in this case, a majority teenage flock of 'em at a sold-out Pipeline Cafe show — cry. And scream. And dance. And sing some more.

A Dashboard Confessional show is many things. Group therapy for the teenage heartbroken seeking emotional rescue of the "I've been there; I totally sympathize" kind. A campfire sing-a-long meets primal scream session where the audience sings every lyric of every Carrabba song back to him so loudly, it often drowns the vocalist out enough to step back from his microphone.

Both trademark Dashboard live show elements were on display in force last night. However, there was something welcome and kinda-sorta-new afoot when comparing the show with the band's last Honolulu date in 2002: more songs boasting the cathartic realization of a light at the end of heartbreak's tunnel.

A set list heavy on material from Dashboard's cautiously happier and more musically diverse third CD, "A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar," might have disappointed a few fans hoping to channel more classic Carrabba pain. But the new tunes revealed a tight, rambunctious Dashboard that allowed Carrabba and his bandmates — guitarist John Lefler, drummer Mike Marsh, bassist Scott Schoenbeck — many moments to shine.

Even an often beaming Carrabba seemed truly happy to see his new 'tude quickly work its charm on the crowd.

Sporting a tight yellow with red trim Texas Tech '85 championship T-shirt and jeans, the near-model waifish and tattooed Carrabba opened the show sans band, no intro, with just his acoustic guitar. The teeming crowd joined along in verse immediately, barely stopping until the lot of Dashboard was done 90 minutes later.

Carrabba gave props right away to his early career chronicles of a single failed relationship with tough versions of acoustic studio tracks "The Brilliant Dance," "The Sharp Hint Of New Tears," and "The Good Fight."

Later, with Carrabba almost-solo again on lead guitar, the heart-

wrenching title ballad from Dashboard's second CD, "The Places You Have Come To Fear The Most," was a gem of terrific tension-and-sweet-release lyrical dramatics. "Screaming Infidelities," the band's woe-filled ode to those pesky reminders of a former love seemed to please the masses just by its inclusion in the set.

A new Dashboard track "So Long, So Long," featured Carrabba putting the acoustic ax aside for some amusing-enough piano exercises. But a mid-show highlight was the vocalist's temporary shelving of the Dashboard angst for a fun cover of Long Island, N.Y.-based band Wheatus' witty and sadly underplayed locally "Teenage Dirtbag."

Carrabba saved his sweet, percolating anthem to new love "Hands Down" for an encore, getting exactly the kind of audience reaction he wanted — wild cheers, the evening's first attempts at crowd surfing, and the loudest showcase of fan vocalese all night. By show's end, I was wondering why any girl in her right mind even considered walking out on the smiling, goofy charmer.

Props to Carrabba also for lavishing effusive and well-deserved praise on local opening band Suspicious Minds, whose sharp retro-rockabilly cocktail proved a sweet opener.

I'd take Chris up right away on that offer to tour with him though, guys.

Reach Derek Paiva at dpaiva@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8005.