When FACE TO FACE goes out on tour they definitely do an awesome job in picking bands to support them. The top three billings last night could have easily held their own headlining their own grand tours. Before the show started, I was nervous that H20 and SNAPCASE would get only 30 minutes to play, but fortunately both bands played for 45 minutes, and FACE TO FACE went on for more than an hour.

After NO MOTIV pulled out of this tour before it got under way (doh…I really wanted to see them!), DASHBOARD CONFESSION signed on to take over on the first few dates, and I was pretty glad they did. The last time I saw Dashboard, it was just a one man acoustic thing with Chris, but now he’s added a bassist, Ben, and former bandmate Mike (from FURTHER SEEMS FOREVER). With this bulkier sound, Dashboard plays absolutely moving rock music, due in part to Chris’ great voice. However, Chris was pretty sick last night, so the band only played five songs, two off of their upcoming Vagrant Records debut. Besides the fact that the band is very talented, they have perhaps one of the most radio friendly sounds out there, and with the right luck, this band could be controlling the airwaves very soon.

After a ridiculously long set change (40 minutes!!) H20 came out blazing, romping through some of the old favorites and testing out three new ones too. H20′s new album, “”Go,”" hits stores May 15th, and from the likes of what I heard, expect it to be even more melodic than efforts past, but still with all the passion and energy that makes this band so great. Think more in terms of the song “”Liberate,”" on the last album, “”FTTW.”" Hearing such tracks as “”I see it in us,”" “”Roots,”" “”Empty Pockets,”" “”Faster than the world,”" and a killer version of “”Guilty by Association,”" made me gleam in appreciation. No matter how many times I see H20, I always get wrapped up in the whirlwind that carries their songs. Unfortuantely, they didn’t play my favorite track of theirs, “”Spirit of ’84″” – maybe next time. The club had packed in tight during their set, and within moments, a giant circle pit opened up and the usual mayhem resulted. One special moment was that Kenny from the legendary DC band MARGINAL MAN was in attendance. H20 covered the MARGINAL MAN song “”Friend,”" on the “”Thicker Than Water,”" album, and Kenny came up to play the song during the set. If pressed to answer, I think there is no other band that has H20′s energy, nor Toby’s stage presence.

After a not so long delay, SNAPCASE emerged from the darkness and pulverized the venue murmur with a frighteningly loud version of “”Caboose.”" This was my third time seeing SNAPCASE in less than a year, and by far, this was their loudest endeavor. With their shellshocking tightness and bouncy rhythms, it’s hard to not get caught up in the metal / hardcore hybrid sound. Busting through such tracks as “”Incarnation,”" “”She Suffocates,”" “”Typecast Modulator,”" and my personal favorite, “”Bleeding Orange,”" the aural demolition was well received. One thing that is great about SNAPCASE live is that once their set starts, the music doesn’t stop at all until they are done – it might drone into sci-fi sonic swirls every now and then, but it’s a continuous sound the whole way through, and when the band kicks into whatever song they start, the propulsion is huge. The band finished up their set as usual with “”Harrison Bergeron,”" and the entire dance floor turned into one huge pit – tough guys and tiny guys (like me!) alike all got caught up in the energy of what is SNAPCASE. Damn these guys are good. Look for a new CD out soon of old demo tracks and b-sides.

After an exhausting previous two hours, FACE TO FACE had the duty to play clean-up, and they didn’t dissappoint. I like F2F and all, but I don’t know their back catalog extensively, so I can’t name exactly what they played or didn’t play, but the crowd seemed pretty happy with the song selection. One thing about the band though is that they sound a bit too professional for my liking. As a three piece, their precision was astonishing, and their tightness was unquestionable (Chad Yaro no longer tours with the band). Bassist, Scott Shiflett is one of the best out there, and is a pleasure to watch. At the same time, they lacked the rough edges that keep things interesting. Watching their drummer plow through song after song playing at such wicked speeds was pretty cool however. I’ve had their latest album, “”Reactionary,”" for awhile now, and it’s really good, so if you like melodic, fast punk rock, go out and get it. Also, the band is releasing an album of just covers in late February on Vagrant, so keep on the lookout for that too.