Anberlin performing their final farewell tour at the House of Blues, Anaheim, 10/10/2014.

An old friend from back home in the Bay Area has been coming down to the Orange County area for a few business trips. Luckily, his visits are in my area and I’ve been able to keep him company and, considering I didn’t even start the school year until October, my workload hasn’t been too heavy and I was glad to catch up and venture out!

Last October 10th, he flew down to catch Anberlin‘s final “farewell” concert at their House of Blues, Anaheim date. He had an extra ticket and let me go with him (and for a starving, concert-fiending college student, how could I say no?!).

I swear I haven’t listened to Anberlin since my late-middle school to early-high school days, but they were one of those few Warped Tour pop/punk-y kind’a bands that stuck with me because their songs were always packed with so much meaning and depth.

“The Unwinding Cable Car” is the song that set the band in motion; and, it’s probably the band’s most touching song. That pure, clear-throated voice. Those rhythmic guitar strums… The song speaks for itself.

“This is the correlation of salvation and love.
Don’t drop your arms.
I’ll guard your heart.
With quiet words I’ll lead you in and out of the dark”

That night I had also run into two of my good friends from UCI–a fellow Literary Journalism and Film & Media Studies major (my two doubles)–and was so glad to have had the extra company! I don’t end up going to a lot of concerts with friends because, 1) it’s hard to find friends remotely interested in the same music as me, 2) I don’t know many people willing to trek their way to a show with me, and 3) finding people you feel comfortable enough to go to a concert with can be tricky.

But, beside the case, I almost forgot how much fun you could have at a concert! I wasn’t going into this show with any expectations, seeing to it I wasn’t too familiar with the Anberlin discography. Also, I’ve gotten comfortable going to smaller, intimate singer-songwriter shows and larger stadium “oldies” acts, that this concert almost brought me back to that mosh-pitting pump-fisting Warped Tour crowd I knew back in early high school. A bit odd, but it was so damn fun to be surrounded by that electric energy. Sweaty Warped Tour kids and devoted fans all around. It’s like I forgot how much fun it can be to just let the loud, heavy rock music control your body. The House of Blues was a whole lot of fun that night!

Lakes opening for Anberlin at the House of Blues, Anaheim, 10/10/2014.

A band called Lakes opened for Anberlin, and they had the perfect opening-act energy. A bit on the older side, I could tell this was an instrumental band, really paying attention to how their songs build up and progress throughout. (Their drummer was bumping!) They revved the crowd up perfectly, providing nice, rhythmic, indie-rock tunes with the lead singer’s warm, husky voice.

Lakes (Opening Act) performing at the House of Blues, Anaheim, CA, 10/10/2014.

Anberlin performed a long slate of songs from their entire career, which kept all fans and long-time devotees happy. Throughout their set, I was wondering how a band could have such incredible longevity; and you could definitely feel it within their side comments of how grateful they are to have stayed as a band for so long, successfully.

The lead singer gave a touching anecdote of “following your dreams” and having the faith and push to go through with them. He gave his sentiments, giving shout-outs to long-time Anberlin devotees who have gone to more than a hundred Anberlin shows throughout their career. (How is that even possible?!)

The video below speaks for itself. But what a wonderful career Anberlin has had… Mad respect.

Anberlin performing “The Unwinding Cable Car” at the House of Blues, Anaheim, CA, 10/10/2014.