Anthony Green performing at the Oakland Metro Operahouse in Oakland, CA. September 21, 2016. Photo: Jared Stossel.
Anthony Green
w/ Mat Kerekes, Secret Space
Oakland Metro Operahouse
Oakland, CA
September 21, 2016
The new Oakland Metro is just off of Jack London Square in Oakland, secluded behind a small area of secluded restaurants and a movie theater looms right around the corner. Inside, however, the building is dark, providing the perfect setting for a stage that's nestled right in the middle of the scene. It's a venue that is the ideal situation for an acoustic show, and Anthony Green's stop in Oakland, CA on Wednesday provided the perfect soundtrack to accompany a night in the venue.
A majority of Green's solo material from his newest studio album, Pixie Queen, made its way into the setlist, and rightfully so. Pixie Queen provides a new layer to Green's songwriting capabilities by, ironically, pulling back another layer and bringing us further into the mind of his songwriting. The album is incredibly honest, as honest as it can be without giving away too many specifics.
Onstage, Anthony Green is a frontman that can own any room, no matter what kind of music or type of song he's playing. He has an unmatched charisma; it's present when he's performing with post-hardcore outfit Saosin (who were one of the biggest stars of this summer's Taste of Chaos Festival that stopped in Concord), or with his other major band, Circa Survive (including his solo project, this is just a minor sampling of the number of projects that Green has been a part of).
The show is very straightforward: no gimmicks, no big theatrics or stage displays. An illuminated sign adorns the curtain on the stage, with the words "Pixie Queen" in a bright fluorescent collection behind him and the band. No matter which of the four albums he pulled material from, Green was able to keep the crowd focused on him and away from their phones. It was completely evident that Green cared about making the show a positive environment, even going as far as telling the people fighting and causing a problem to knock it off (all out of love). Surprisingly, the perpetrators stopped. There are very few shows where I've seen that happen, and it was impressive to witness a moment like that.
My final note on Anthony Green's performance: you can tell a great frontman when you can get a crowd to just shut the fuck up and listen to your song. I believe it was during the last song, a rather serious track based on the tone and the lyrics: not a single person spoke. Not in the back, the front, or even in the middle of the crowd where most can get away with it. I was in awe. It made the music speak for itself, and I applaud Green for creating such an environment during his show.
Anthony Green
www.anthonygreenmusic.com
www.facebook.com/anthonygreen
@anthonygreen
Mat Kerekes
www.matkerekes.com
www.facebook.com/MatKerekesMusic
@MatKerekes
Secret Space
www.secretspacemusic.com
www.facebook.com/secretspacemusic
@secretspace
This has been another Shameless Promotion.