Show Review: Say Anything’s 20th Anniversary Tour Hits Boston.
written and photographed by hunter astrid b.
more photos + rest of the gallery can be found here.
If you grew up on or found yourself surrounded by emo music the name Say Anything is definitely not new to you. Forming in 2000, the band hails from Los Angeles, California. The band currently consists of vocalist and founding member Max Bemis, guitarist + keyboardist Parker Case, bassist Garron DuPree, guitarist Kenny bridges, drummer Karl Kuehn, and drummer and backing vocalist Coby Linder. Their touring drummer is Ryan Pope from the midwest emo band The Get Up Kids. The band briefly disbanded in 2018, reuniting four years later in 2022.
The band is known for their quick-wit lyrics and emotional messages and stories that are shared through their music. Their songs are often raw and genuine due to Bemis basing many of their songs off of his experiences. Not only does Bemis have bipolar disorder but he also has struggled with drug addiction, sometimes ending in breakdowns that end up creating some of their most candid pieces of work. The group tends to draw inspiration from ‘alienation from a flawed society but confers a sense of hope.’ Some of Bemis’ biggest influences include Queen, Pavement, Faith No More, Botch, Wilco, The Foo Fighters and more.
According to Bemis, he was raised in a “strong Jewish environment,” leading to references to Jewish heritage in many of their lyrics, especially off of their album …Is a Real Boy, released in 2004. One of their most popular songs off of that album and just in general, and my personal favorite is “Alive with the Glory of Love.” Semi-biographical in nature, the song tells the story of Bemi’s grandparents, whom were both Holocaust survivors, and theirs lives in hiding and in the work camp. “I thought about what it would be like to be in love and be separated from the person you love, because these times are just as fire in a way. Anything can happen, in a war and terrorist attacks and cynicism and all these actors who oppose love.” Although the music itself is an ‘uplifting rocker’ with upbeat guitar riffs, the song itself is hauntingly beautiful. If you haven’t had the chance to listen to it before I highly recommend that you do here.
Since their creation, the group has released nine studio albums; their first one being Baseball: An Album by Say Anything in 2001 and their most recent released being …Is Committed in 2024.
Earlier in 2024 the band announced a tour in celebration of their album …Is a Real Boy having its 20th anniversary. The Boston location was a special place for Max Bemis himself for he used to live in Boston at 19, fondly reminiscing over eating a bunch of Slim Jims during his time in the city. Something he said that he appreciated about the city was that Boston was the place least filled with people who pretended to like his art when they didn’t. People were honest and blunt, not faking their truth and reactions to him. As someone who also moved from Los Angeles to Boston, it was very refreshing to see people actually be truthful about their opinions. This really helped me develop my practice as well as figure out which people I should actually surround myself with. During one of the songs their old guitarist Jeff Turner (2005-2014) was brought out onto the stage to share the space with the band and play the guitar. It’s always nice to see past members being able to share the space and love with bands years down the line. The show itself was filled with nostalgia and emo lovers alike, giving a space to those who wanted to scream the raw lyrics and feel the emotions that the band was sharing. Always a beautiful thing to experience.
MY FAVORITE SONG: “Alive with the Glory of Love” off of …Is a Real Boy (2004)
