Circa Survive lights up Summit Music Hall

The fanatical crowd at the Summit Music Hall was anything but appalled when the first chord struck and Anthony Green and his band of experimental companions began a familiar single from 2005, “Act Appalled.”

Previously the lead singer of hardcore California group Saosin, Green is no newcomer to live music and crowd interaction. The expansive lighting set was comprised of five towers of light divided into grids. The wondrous wall of light illuminated the rockers from behind with a blinding strobe effect.

The only visible thing on stage was the silhouette of Green jumping, screaming, and dancing energetically. With the final words of the opening song, “I’ve been trying to get back to the center/I’m sure it’s not like it was,” confetti shot out from cannons around the venue, raining down to the surprise of the maniacal fans who filled the hall.

Some fans were too busy to notice the falling decorations due to the preoccupation of being supported by hands and screaming out lyrics perfectly synced to those of the lead singer.

The distorted dissonance produced by guitarists Colin Frangicetto and Brendan Ekstrom began to fade as the last bits of bright blue paper fluttered to the ground, soaking up the beer and sweat throughout the venue.

The light show began to evolve as the show proceeded. It became clear that the array of luminous hues was in fact synchronized to the instruments, turning out to be more than something meant to blind the audience, but rather a captivating and complementary contribution to the performance as a whole.

Fans of Circa Survive do not take the concerts lightly, and soon enough, anyone who was not singing along to the songs was out of place. The spacious and somewhat new Summit Music Hall has a balcony around the entire room—which is not very large—ensuring a fantastic view of the action, as well as sufficient audio capabilities to allow a memorable experience for all.

Many songs into the set, as the crowd began to wear out, Green welcomed another round of confetti, strobe lights, and “Suitcase,” a single from the newest studio album Violent Waves, released back in August. The single was one of the first songs written, and in an interview with Rocksound Magazine, the song was described to be about “meeting someone who doesn’t give two shits about you until they find out you are in a band they like or you are someone they know then start treating you differently.”

Over the years, Circa Survive has achieved a varied level of success from album to album, but this show was a testament to their endurance as performers and songwriters alike. The indie/experimental rock genre may seem to be shrinking, but events like this one remind us all that there are hundreds of fans out there hungry for commanding chord progressions in combination with vocals that only Green can provide.