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Live at House of Blues Anaheim

June 28, 2024 Review by Amber Crouch

Although the date was June 24, 2024, the fans in line to enter the Say Anything show could have made me believe it was the early 2000s. Gathered at the House of Blues Anaheim to celebrate the 20th anniversary of “…Is a Real Boy” were tons of fans ready to belt their little emo hearts out, myself included.

Whether Team Converse or Team Vans, there was talk of Warped Tours of days past and whose skinny jeans were the tightest – a definite testament to our emo days of yore.

For a quick second, let’s actually bring it back to those days, 2004-2008, when “…Is a Real Boy” was released not once, not twice but THREE times! One of those three times included seven bonus tracks, and another being a vinyl release with the song “Walk Through Hell” from their “Menorah/Majora” EP.

Though some struggles came with making the album itself – from change of ideas to personal situations – it was created to convey the idea that artists want to affect something more than just themselves; to be more than just the artist. Turning out completely different than what was wanted, but still ending up with the same result. Each song in itself making you feel like you’re with the singers on this “Walk Through Hell,” touched by the ups and downs of their life.

Back to 2024 and the doors opened in Anaheim to allow the crowd to take their places throughout the venue. While some made their way to the bar and merch tables, others filled the pit for the first act of the night: Greet Death, a four-piece rock band out of Flint, Michigan.

Having released their latest EP “New Low” in 2022, they played some songs off that and a few off 2019’s “A New Hell.” Their energy and stage presence definitely grabbed the attention of showgoers who hadn’t quite made their way to the front yet.

Following behind the “Deathbois” was Arizona folk-punk band AJJ, also known as Andrew Jackson Jihad. Their five-piece band includes a cello and a unique way of telling tales of dark realities with upbeat symphonies behind it.

The group played a nice mix old and new, but mostly tracks off their 2023 album, “Disposable Everything Else.” I personally took a liking to the hauntingly beautiful sounds of their song “White Ghosts,” which the crowd also seemed to vibe with.

By the end of that set, every inch of the floor was completely filled; the pit, the sides, the bars and upper areas as well. Everyone was ready.

Say Anything, opening the set with the record tape scribbles from “Belt,” and playing “…Is a Real Boy” in its entirety, the whole place was engulfed in excitement.

Fans in every corner moved and swayed with the music, bobbing and twisting as they surfed over the crowd, screaming every word back at the band. So much so, the intro to “Every Man Has His Molly” was done perfectly by fans prompting lead singer Max Bemis to acknowledge how amped up everyone seemed to be.

Finishing off with the bonus tracks that were included in one of the album’s re-releases, fans reveled in hearing this album all the way through with others who were just as ecstatic.

The crowd poured from the venue with the same energy the bands gave them; just as enthusiastic as they were on the floor as they were going to their cars. Personally, the show was everything I imagined it would have been when I was listening to this album back in junior high.

When it came out, I ran through the disk so much, I was stoked they re-released it, so I had an excuse to buy another one – and it was the one that included the additional tracks, so it was a bonus! To this day, I still play this album from start to finish whenever I want to truly focus on a project or task I have at hand.

Once in a while, when I close my eyes, I can see the little emo kid with the straight iron burned hair that fell in love with each of the songs that was put onto “…Is a Real Boy.” This show made that little emo kid’s dreams come true!

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