There have been very few bands who’ve developed as lovely a fan base as La Dispute (at least, of those I’ve seen live or whose fans I’ve interacted with extensively online), and that’s the factor to me that elevates a 7-9/10 gig to a 10/10 rating. You’d hope the band you’re seeing sounds good, that they aren’t dull performers, that the setlist will include at least a couple of your favorite songs. But you never can account for the behavior of strangers crammed together at a sold-out show.
As usual, the band put together a setlist that blended old and new songs perfectly, included older fan favorites and plenty of deeper cuts alongside the hits. The band sounded fantastic (can’t forget to give credit to the August Hall sound team), vocalist Jordan Dreyer must burn more than 1,000 calories per show and the way he and guitarist Corey Stroffolino vibe on stage is contagious. All that is essentially guaranteed when you by a La Dispute ticket, though. Not that it makes things less special, they’re just not a surprise.
As I type this, now I’m thinking I shouldn’t be surprised that the crowds this band draws still are some of the most courteous, caring and supportive of one another. Kids and adults were going hard ([including during “Woman (I mirror)” which takes real commitment to the bit] but never had to be reminded to pick each other up. Strangers checked in with one another, even on the balcony. They showed up in droves for the openers and were respectful and actually paid attention. Those that did were treated to one of the best sets I’ve seen in a while from From Indian Lakes, and Flooding, who was new to me but I’ll be rectifying that.
