Say Anything w/guests: Ritz Ybor, Tampa, FL, June 18, 2014

By Amanda Starling

Borrowed guitarists. Singers crowded around mics. Shared percussion. Call it an evening of collaboration on Say Anything’s latest tour for their new album, Hebrews. Bounce and mosh beats kept an audience of 1,100 moving at the Ritz Ybor in Tampa, Fla. Traveling with a mixed collection of alternative pop punk all-stars, Say Anything’s stop in Tampa re-imagined some of their newer, more orchestral tracks and classics with heavy percussion and re-mastered guitar chords.

Joining Say Anything for the tour are band leader Max Bemis, Fred Mascherino (The Color Fred, Taking Back Sunday), Greg Dunn (Moving Mountains), Kenny Bridges (Moneen), Reed Murray, and Garron Dupree. The ever-rotating lineup, spawned since their debut in 2000, demonstrates the many flavors of Say Anything (and their love of collaboration). Multiple opening bands contributed backing performances, including The Front Bottoms’ Brian Sella and You Blew It! drummer Matt Nissley. With so many appearances, it’s as if Bemis crafted a tour with favourites to celebrate their nearly 15 years as an ever-evolving band.

It was a back-and-forth lyrical toss between Bemis and the audience, challenging the crowd to beat out previous stops for “best show on the tour.” Teens and veteran fans seized the challenge, roaring and, at times, screeching lyrics to ridiculous decibels at the opening “666” and “Spidersong.” It only simmered during Hebrews songs, given that fans only had a week to learn lyrics from the June 10 release. “Boston Peace” offered fans a flashback to a playful but memorable era for Say Anything. Fan-favorite “Wow” earned a sea of smart phones and pogoing bodies, though I’m not certain anyone was able to make a steady recording for their Instagram accounts.

Bemis warned of sound changes between recordings and the tour performances, but it only translated as a more striking take on the traditionally poppier songs. For the first time, Bemis treated the crowd to a live rendition of “Surgically Removing the Tracking Device,” off the album In Defense of the Genre. Acoustic B-side favorites and covers granted an intimate sing-along in Bemis’s acoustic session. Stage presence roared best with the complete troupe, at its strongest when Mascherino’s growl brought some edge to the set.

The opening bands shaped the tour into something impressionable. Teens stained in ‘x’s were finally introduced to one of Orlando, Florida’s up-and-coming emo punk favorites, You Blew It!, and were blown away by quirky Florida humor and emo slow-jam “Award of the Year Award.” The band loaned guitarist Andy Anaya for a portion of Brooklyn’s The So So Glos’ set, balancing them for missing guitarist Ryan Levine for the evening. SSG bounced a blitzkrieg of energy, tweaking a classic punk feel with an indie twist to their ironic, apathetic take of the “Apocalypse.”

And spotlight competitors The Front Bottoms, with their rapid dance riffs and warbled croons echoed swoons during an on-stage proposal, followed by their love song, “Peach.”