Friday night's show at the State Theatre attracted the passionate indie scenesters of downtown St. Pete and surrounding areas. Fans queued out front excitedly chattered about how stoked they were for the night ahead. Enthusiastic concertgoers started hyping up the crowd right before doors opened, prompting a random middle-aged woman passer-by to voluntarily holler along with the rest of us. [Text by Valerie, photos by Mike.]

Anthony Green, frontman of Circa Survive and former vocalist of Saosin, is halfway into his U.S. trek in support of his newly released full-length, Beautiful Things. This is the second solo release for Green; his previous, Avalon, debuted in 2008. Philly trio Good Old War performed as Green’s backing band, as on his records, and Green invited along The Dear Hunter to support.

The Dear Hunter started out as the solo project of Casey Crescenzo (formerly of The Receiving End of Sirens), and has evolved into a band with complex instrumentals and a prog-rock feel, though anyone seeing The Dear Hunter for the first time like myself may have been a bit confused as it wasn't a 'normal' setup for the band, a fact I was unaware of until somebody in the crowd shouted a query asking where the rest of the band was. Crescenzo explained that Green envisioned a more stripped-down vibe for the tour, and he'd left half of The Dear Hunter crew back home.

The remaining musicians remained seated the majority of the performance, building upon the intimate atmosphere with an extended set of low-key tunes that flowed together seamlessly. The synth harmonies and rough-edged guitars echoed off the walls of the venue, Crescenzo's strong vocals revealing his impressive range.

The tempo for a few tracks picked up, and though the crowd remained passive, they were still paying attention and seemed to harbor plenty of respect based on the praise they dished out. Their style and sound was reminiscent of Georgia rock outfit Manchester Orchestra, not to mention both of the bands’ frontmen could be doppelgängers, both burly, bearded, belt-it-out vocalists.

Shortly after they finished, as Anthony Green graced the stage, the crowd packed in tight and soaked up Green’s warm smile and pleasant demeanor. He politely greeted the audience and opened with “She Loves Me So” off Avalon. All eyes and ears were on Green as he sang and strummed away, connecting with everyone in the room.

The crowd was surprisingly laid-back throughout the show, save for one overzealous fan standing front and center, who kept reaching out to Green and shouted things like “I’ve waited so long for this!” and “Anthony Green is standing right there!” when he wasn't singing along to every song.

“There’s nothing I love more than looking out and seeing a grown man, my age or maybe even older, facial hair and all, going crazy like a little girl,” Green commented at one point, and I couldn't help but think he was referring to said fan.

The heartfelt ballad “James’s Song” from Beautiful Things proved the most honest and vulnerable moment of the night. Green wrote the song about his one-year-old son, James, his only child. The song contains just two verses, but packs such an insurmountable amount of emotion that it needs no more than his voice and acoustic guitar. Green’s wife was watching sidestage and brought James out for this song. Green couldn’t help but look over and smile at his family as he sang the words, “there is this light in his eyes, so bright no one can deny.”

It wasn’t until the encore that the crowd finally came alive. Green kicked off the finale with an acoustic rendition of “Seven Years,” the song fans were requesting all night. The track is off Saosin’s debut EP Translating the Name, which is the only Saosin release Green recorded before leaving the band. The whole crowd knew the words and could have easily sung the entire song for him.

The upbeat and bouncy “Dear Child (I’ve Been Trying To Reach You)” off Avalon followed and immediately turned a switch on in the audience. Crowd-surfers emerged for the first time, plowing right onto the stage and diving headfirst back into the sea of hands.

Green closed out the show with “Devils Song (This Feels Like A Nightmare),” the final track off Avalon. He divided the crowd in half with each side singing a part of the chorus — left, “we’re all in the same spot” and right, “this feels like a nightmare.” Green conducted the masses into a symphony of harmonies so loud you could barely hear the band, the room erupting with a shared energy level that dramatically sky-rocketed and ended on a new high.

The mass of people who left that night were visibly impressed and satisfied with everything Green had to offer. After seeing his live show, I discovered a new-found appreciation for his raw talent and sincere approach to music.

Anthony Green Setlist:
She Loves Me So
Baby Girl
If I Don't Sing
Moon Song
Drug Dealer
Get Yours While You Can
Untitled (To See It For What It Is)
When I'm On Pills
Stone Hearted Man
James' Song
How It Goes (Lower Octave Version)
Miracle Sun
First Day Of Work At The Microscope Store
Right Outside
Big Mistake
Can't Have It All At Once