Garwood, NJ – 14 Jul 2023
This is the stuff that makes you
Like most non-local acts of the mid-to-late 90s I discovered Braid on a comp. I can not tell you the comp, I can not tell you the year, I can’t even tell you the song I first heard, but I can tell you it piqued my interest enough that when I saw Frame and Canvas on an endcap at the now-defunct Vintage Vinyl record store I was happy to throw down a good chunk of my measly income. The album became an immediate and important part of the soundtrack to my life at the time. In the 25 years since its release, I’ve found that’s not an uncommon origin story for how people discover and appreciate this record. If you’re a fan of the second-wave of emo, you know this record and you love it.
Frame and Canvas bridged a gap between the early-emo influencers such as Rites of Spring or Embrace and the later evolution of emo into the more poppy sound it is currently associated with. Playing the role of evolutionary link, Braid cultivated a scene not-quite-ready to take over airwaves and too far removed from its more hardcore roots. The album name has proved itself perfect with each passing year and each newly-influenced act, laying out the Frame and Canvas upon which Modern Baseball, Touche Amore and Tigers Jaw have provided a fresh coat.
But me… well, I’ve never gotten the chance to hear the songs performed live. At least not by Bob Nanna, Chris Broach, Todd Bell or Damon Atkinson. When the quartet announced this anniversary tour, I immediately mentioned it to damn near everyone I know, and apparently I’m the only schmuck in Northern NJ who didn’t catch them anytime the band has rolled through before. Not anymore as tonight I made it to the show and can check off this line item on the bucket list.
Oddly enough, this is also my first time making my way to Crossroads, the small venue in the tiny hamlet of Garwood, NJ. Over the last decade or so, thanks in large parts to residencies and regular appearances from artists like Brian Fallon, Frank Turner and Dave Hause, this 200 person room with a knee-high, catty-cornered stage has become one of the premiere venues for intimate performances in the NY/NJ area. The reputation of the venue had set the bar high, but once the show started, the sound and vibe did not disappoint.
First to step to the microphone was Oceanator. I went in blind in terms of knowing how the music would sound, beyond a brief review I’d checked out from a buddy. Despite my prior ignorance, I absolutely loved Oceanator’s set. Every aspect from start to finish, brought me deeper and deeper into my newfound fandom of the solo artist performing as a 3-piece. The songs were lyrically strong & well played and by set’s end, I was hoping she’d continue well past her allocated time. Oceanator definitely has a new fan in me & I look forward to seeing more in the near future & I highly recommend you do the same, without hesitation.
The next act to take the 3 steps up onto the stage, was J. Robbins (Band). Robbins, of course, being the producer of Frame and Canvas and legendary vocalist/guitarist for Jawbox, Burning Airlines and more. While more familiar with his work, I didn’t know what to expect from this incarnation, but as he always has, his live set proves the man will never lose his talent and that every chord he touches turns into something magical. He and his band delivered a narrative built around solid, well-crafted sounds.
Finally Braid hits the stage and tore right through Frame and Canvas from start to finish. It was relatable, it was personal and it was a fucking blast. The duality in vocals created internal and external tensions throughout each of the 12 tracks (plus more), a push and pull creating palpable anxiety and restlessness that carried over into the instrumentation.
The band had some rust, the kind that should be expected, but a flubbed line or a missed note could not get in the way of the four-piece as the songs of Frame and Canvas haven’t lost any of its shimmer and continues to paint the emo landscape in a swirl of hues that refuse to fade. Bob Nanna and Chris Broach both remain the soft-spoken yet dynamic voices they have always been, while never underwhelming or overpowering the crowd or one another.
The quick wit of Nanna and bassist Todd Bell were on full display in their rapport with the crowd, questioning the logic when someone called out a request knowing we’re all here to see F&C played in order. (Seriously, who calls out for something on No Coast when we all know “Milwaukee Skyrocket” is next.) All the while, Damon Atkinson kept a smile and swagger behind the kit not looking as if he’d aged a day since ’98.
On a stage where the band couldn’t logistically walk off and return, the anticipation break before the encore was waived in favor of a quick run through of tracks from the rest of the quartet’s catalog. Tracks like “East End Hollows” “My Baby Smokes” and the previously requested “No Coast” all played to a thrilled audience.
Closing out with the immaculate “Chandelier Swings” the band was quickly in with their fans shaking hands taking photos and showing us the sort of gratitude we owed them for this record. Braid is not simply an important cog in the elder emo machine, it is one of the keystones upon which the whole community is built. Countless acts stand tall against their contemporaries but the luster fades as the years pass, Braid on the other hand kept their shine and were as bright and beautiful now as I imagined they would be 25 years ago.
Bad Dad (occasionally called Ed) has been on the periphery of the punk and punk-adjacent scene for over twenty years. While many contributors to this site have musical experience and talent, Ed’s musical claim to fame comes from his time in arguably the most punk rock Blockbuster Video district in NJ where he worked alongside members of Blanks 77, Best Hit TV and Brian Fallon. He is more than just an awful father to his 2 daughters, he is also a dreadful husband, a subpar writer, a terrible dresser and has a severe deficiency in all things talent… but hey, at least he’s self-aware, amirite?
Check out the pathetic attempts at photography on his insta at https://www.instagram.com/bad_dad_photography/
