In 2004 music circles, the story of the year has been the explosion of "screamo," with bands like Taking Back Sunday, the Used and Coheed and Cambria (the Mario, Luigi and Toadstool of emo, respectively) taking a big bite out of corporate rock radio. Nintendo elected to take advantage of the trend, venturing into the concert promotion business to sponsor the Nintendo Fusion Tour. The tour rolled into the 9:30 club Wednesday, headlined by radio darlings and emo goombas Story of the Year.
Story of the Year came onstage full of energy, rolling out three fast songs in a row to get the crowd into it. The crowd responded, forming a vicious circle pit that resembled a fight scene in Double Dragon. However, something was missing from Story of the Year's set. For all their energy and sincerity, the band seemed a bit too slickly produced and image-conscious. Bands like the Used may have a similar sound, but at least they have the street cred of a drug addiction.
Story of the Year came off onstage like a cross between Linkin Park and New Found Glory - carefully outfitted and choreographed to appeal to high schoolers. Death-themed hit singles "Anthem of Our Dying Day" and "Until the Day I Die" stoked the crowd, but in the end, Story of the Year's princess was in another castle on this night.
While Story of the Year's set was a bit weak, main support act My Chemical Romance performed with all the strength of Mike Tyson's Punch-Out. Touring in support of sophomore breakout album "Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge," the band was responsible for a fair share of the sold-out 9:30 club crowd. The frenzied crowd reacted strongly to the band's anthem-like hits, including "Helena" and "Thank You For the Venom," as well as several songs off of debut LP "I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love."
Singer Gerard Way was in fine form, a Pelle-from-the-Hives-esque mischievous grin on his face the entire show. The set closed strongly with hit single "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)," to the delight of the energetic audience.
The crowd, though, showed little energy for opening acts Autopilot Off and Letter Kills. Both Island Records artists tried, but the sea of unmoving bodies and blank stares made their sets come off like a fourth-place finisher in Excitebike. At one point Letter Kills vocalist Matt Shelton taunted the crowd, asking why they bothered to show up if they were just going to sleep through the show.
