Live: Anberlin @ The Roxian Theatre
When Anberlin made their triumphant return in the summer of 2019, no one could have anticipated that a pandemic was months away from spreading across the world and that it would put stop to the concert industry for over a year. Musicians and fans alike are finally returning to venues with lots of enthusiasm, and you’d never know that any of us spent that much time away.
Like many musicians, Anberlin turned to livestreams during the COVID-19 lockdowns, but of course, nothing compares to the real thing. The band was greeted with an enthusiastic crowd who lovingly sang every word, fists pumping the air, and they delivered the kind of energetic show they’ve been putting on since the beginning of their career, with a setlist spanning those years, starting with Lowborn opener “We Are Destroyer.” From there, they continued with “The Resistance,” “Paperthin Hymn,” “Impossible,” “A Day Late,” “Someone Anyone,” and “Armageddon.”
The pace slowed with “The Unwinding Cable Car” and “Inevitable” — often delightfully paired together live — followed by the perfect call-and-response track “Dismantle. Repair.”
The only thing better than one of your favorite bands returning from a hiatus followed by a pandemic is that band brining new music with them. Anberlin led into the final songs of the set with the aggressive new “Two Graves,” followed by “Self-Starter” and “Never Take Friendship Personal,” then another set of two songs never meant to be apart — “(Début)” and “Godspeed.”
The band threw it back to their early days with an encore of “Feel Good Drag,” delighting long-time fans and closing out an exciting show.
