It’s been 15 years since Silverstein delivered their debut full-length When Broken Is Easily Fixed. Where did the time go? That’s exactly what vocalist Shane Told was asking himself midway through the band’s two-set, celebratory show.
“So what’d you think of our first record?,” he asked the crowd. “We played the whole thing. It’s some emo shit, huh? We were teenagers when wrote those songs in Josh’s basement. We didn’t even know we were going to play a show. It’s crazy.”
It is crazy. But what would’ve been even crazier is if Silverstein had not celebrated with an anniversary tour. Like many shows marketed as “anniversary” tours, this 15-year celebration didn’t feel like a gimmick. This type of tour felt extra special for a band like Silverstein, who traditionally doesn’t touch on much from When Broken Is Easily Fixed. While an average night with Silverstein might feature a song or two from the record, the opportunity to hear “November” played live outside of this tour is probably nonexistent. The band simply has too many hit songs in their repertoire nowadays. Revisiting When Broken Is Easily Fixed created a heightened enthusiasm. Even compared to Silverstein’s last show in Charlotte less than a year ago, the crowd size doubled and this time the band sold out The Underground.
The crowd was raucous and all for hearing the first album played in full. From the start of “Smashed Into Pieces” to the end of “When Broken Is Easily Fixed,” bodies flowed over the barricade in bunches and a mosh pit stirred at the centre of the floor. Fans knew thy set list, they knew what song was coming next and even still, when Told introduced “Bleed No More,” the audience erupted. There were few surprises, except how much violin was featured on WBIEF. Told joked that when the band went back and listened to their debut for the first time in 10 years, they realized they needed to recruit violinist Mike Tompa of First Ghost and Deadwinter. The live strings brought life to songs “Hear Me Out” and “Wish I Could Forget You,” which wouldn’t have felt the same any other way.
Following the full performance of the record, the band took a short intermission, but stormed the stage moments later for a second set consisting of just their greatest hits. From the most beloved newest tracks to the gem “California” off This Is How The Wind Shifts, Silverstein performed a piece of themselves from every generation. The band shifted gears from the metal-core days of old to the more upbeat vibe they exude in the present. The faster, poppier tracks like “The Afterglow” and “Retrograde” re-energized the audience before Silverstein slowed down for the grand finale, which consisted of an acoustic rendition of both “Aquamarine” and “My Heroine.”
It’s where the show came full circle. While the band’s showpiece “My Heroine” isn’t from their When Broken Is Easily Fixed, it’s from the same time. When Told hung the microphone out over the audience, who sung the final verse at the top of their lungs, it was clear how special this night actually was.
