AFI Keep Seattle On Their Toes

AFI w/ The Chain Gang of 1974 and Souvenirs
Showbox, Seattle, WA
01.25.17

After releasing their debut album more than 20 years ago, A Fire Inside, more commonly known as AFI, came back to The Showbox in Seattle to deliver yet another killer set.

The sold out night opened with California band Souvenirs. The four-piece outfit had a pretty good opening set, balancing the moody, raw, and intense vibes of groups like Brand New and State Champs with lines of echoey, almost dream-pop guitars. The set was great to get the night started, even if they just played to the small crowd that had gathered early.

With the amps covered in flowers that matched the album art of their most recent singles, The Chain Gang of 1974 took the stage next. Their set edged a bit soft to be opening for a band like AFI, leaning more towards synth/electro-pop, though it still carried a very faint pop-punk influence. The first few tracks of the set were strong, while the middle seemed to settle into a bit of repetition. In the end, though, they picked it up with the catchy hooks of “Sleepwalking” and “Godless Girl.”

By this point, the crowd was filled with a pretty diverse mix of people, the majority being over the age of 30. There were fans with handfuls of piercings and tattoos, and couples dressed up like they had come straight from the office, filling every crack and corner, pushing forward ready to enjoy AFI together.

The minute the first few band members entered the stage and the lights dimmed, the density of the crowd seemed to double as everyone tried to get even closer to the band to jump around and dance along to their favorite music. Opening with the same track they opened with in Seattle a little over three years ago, the high guitar riffs of “The Leaving Song, Pt. II” rang through the crowd and everyone sang along to the lyrics they’ve been listening to for nearly 14 years.

The band has talked before about how, in an age where everything is shared online, and since they’ve been releasing music for so long, they like to change up the setlist on tour rather than keeping the same set for the entire run. Seattle was given this tour’s debut of “The Boy Who Destroyed the World,” a track from one of their 18-year-old EPs. They mixed older tracks with songs from their latest release, AFI (The Blood Album), for a set that flowed seamlessly.

Regardless about how you actually feel about AFI’s music, their set was obviously skilled and respectable. There was never a dull moment as singer Davey Havok god-walked across the crowd, crowd surfers flipped through the air, and circle pits became a regular occurrence.

While Souvenirs and The Chain Gang of 1974 offered a pretty baseline intro to the night, AFI blew it out of the water, making it clear what 20-plus years of experience can do for a performance. AFI’s set was energetic, passionate, and kept the crowd on their toes while playing some of their earliest tracks, giving everyone night they won’t soon forget.

Review by Lulu Dawson
Photos by Logan Westom

AFI