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Hoobastank's show a free-for-all of fun |
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Written by KENT GREEN / Photos by BARRY BRECHEISEN
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Tuesday, 02 May 2006 |
The bouncers for Hoobastank's show at the House of Blues behaved a little strangely Tuesday night: they were eagerly waving people into the venue. It wasn't because they'd had too much April 20 fun; Hoobastank's show was free and all-ages, as part of the "Every Fan for Himself" fan appreciation tour. The show also promoted the band's new album, "Every Man for Himself," due out May 16.
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Hoobastank
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 Entertainment
 Art
House of Blues
Chicago, Ill.
April 20, 2006
Setlist
1. Crawling in the Dark
2. Up And Gone
3. Running Away
4. Inside of You
5. Hello Again
6. Same Direction
7. The First of Me
8. Let It Out
9. Born To Lead
10. If I Were You
11. Pieces
12. The Reason
13. Without A Fight
14. Out Of Control
15. Disappear
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The band mixed mostly old hits with the new. The new numbers follow the less-loud verse/ really loud chorus structure that most of Hoobastank's songs have, but the band showed some experimentation with sounds, as with the army-march noises and helicopter blades of the thumping rocker "Born to Lead." Members of the band looked like they were having the time of their lives on stage. Guitarist Dan Estrin leapt and spun about the stage. Singer Doug Robb's devious little-boy grin curled up as he looked at the audience, as if he knew he should not be able to do this for a living. He bounced back and forth, unleashing powerful screams that belied his wiry frame, and if the crowd wasn't bouncing up and down (a rare sight), he demanded enthusiasm.
One downside of the high-energy group's set was that the guys may have stanked their hooba too early, playing their breakout single "Crawling in the Dark" first; the band never really captured that rush. Rarely did the band deviate from the album versions with solos or improvs, which was frustrating because the songs started to sound similar and did little to stand on their own. Robb found his fun between songs, bantering with fans and bandmates. They even found time to launch into a brief medley of “Dr. Feelgood” and “Another Brick in the Wall.” Robb later criticized the crowd's sing-along skills, but what can you expect from a fan base that was mostly born in the latter half of the '80s?
The show was all about everybody enjoying themselves, Robb told the crowd. It's hard not to admire the group's moxie; they know they're critically panned, but they love what they do and their assembled fans seemed to love it, too. Robb emphasized this before the band's biggest hit, the ballad-esque "The Reason," prefacing the song by saying they hated it when people requested that song while ignoring the rest of their catalogue. However, he also added, "You guys are why we're here, so I'll play anything you fucking want!" The crowd squealed with glee, and it was hard to find a face not singing along. Really, when a show's that much fun, free is just a bonus. Powered by AkoComment 2.0! |
