Say Anything Lead Singer Max Bemis Rocks Allston

photos by Kristen Cawog // @kristencawog

I grew up on Say Anything. To further convey how painfully young I am, the band formed the same year I was born, 2000. They then hit commercial success with It’s a Real Boy at the same time I started listening to music. My older cousins would burn copies of their albums for me to secretly listen to on my portable CD player when my parents weren’t around. One of the first albums they gave me was It’s a Real Boy. It’s an album that sticks with you. 

I’ve been following Bemis and his musical career ever since then. That’s how I ended up in the photo pit of Brighton Music Hall in Allston, MA on October 28th. 

Bemis may have put the name Say Anything to bed last year, but he is nowhere near done with his career in music yet. Now on the road with his family, the set was a combination of Say Anything and Perma songs, a side project Bemis’ wife Sherri Dupree-Bemis. Although the show was acoustic, Bemis didn’t hold back any energy, and neither did the crowd. Say Anything fans rallied behind hit songs like Shiksa (Girlfriend), Woe, and of course, Alive With the Glory of Love. The crowd kept the energy up during the unfeigned section of the set with Perma. 

Thank you to Max for bringing me back to  2007 when I listened to your early albums on repeat in my portable CD player, even if it was just for the night.