by Jessica Cohn

The Rock Band Live tour set up shop last week at the Allstate Arena, delivering a hometown crowd for the Plain White T's. The Cab, Dashboard Confessional, and Panic at the Disco join the T's on this inaugural tour, which combines emo pop-rock bands and audience-interactive video gaming. Bands alternated sets with groups of kids from the crowd who competed in Rock Band 2 gaming, creating an atmosphere that felt like a giant high school basement party.

 

Fresh off a successful European tour and release of their new album, Big Bad World, the T’s took the stage with dapper attire and a fancy video backdrop. What the audience lacked in numbers, they made up for in enthusiasm for the T’s, who raced through an eight song set that spanned their recent LP releases. New songs “Natural Disaster,” “Big Bad World” and “1, 2, 3, 4” echoed the raw live sound on the studio release and were well received by the crowd, particularly “1, 2, 3, 4” thanks to its “Delilah” feel.

 

All That We Needed’s “Take Me Away,” “Hey There Delilah” and Every Second Counts’ “Hate” were crowd favorites, prompting sing and dance alongs in the youthful crowd. Lead singer Tom Higgenson picked up an acoustic guitar towards the end of a set and teased, “Here’s an old b-side for all our old school fans” before launching into the opening chords of smash-single “Hey There Delilah.” The appropriate screams erupted from the crowd and cell phones lit up all around the spacious room. My personal favorite moment during the show was a slew of dudes who attacked the back of the crowd in a full on bro-mosh during set closer “Hate.” During the chorus, they ironically threw heart shaped hands in the air and I questioned whether their surge of excitement was mocking or genuine. When I caught them singing every word and smiling, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the band’s fan base expanded past the teen girl spectrum.

 

The set was short but sweet, as any opening band’s show on an arena tour circuit should be. With a charming new album and sizable fan base, the T’s are better seen on a smaller-scale headlining tour, as much of their energy is difficult to translate across a spread out arena crowd. Pick up newly released Big Bad World and satiate your pop-rock cravings with a this live-sounding record until you can catch the T’s on a headlining set sometime next year for a more intimate concert.