Live Review: Frightened Rabbit at Great Scott

Second opener David Karsten Daniels showed promise as well, in that he resembled New Radicals frontman Gregg Alexander enough to make audience members think it might be the same guy. There was much celebration until the theory was refuted by a quick Google search. DKD is his own man, and played in a two-man band with a keyboardist/drummer and computer machines. Daniels' voice was perhaps the most prominent instrument in the grouping, used alternately for precisely enunciated lyrics and warbling lamentations. At times, the force and power of Daniels' pipes became overwhelming, and the music lost focus: proggy guitar work moved to vocal ululations followed by polka-ish tunes. It was clear that Daniels was feeling deeply, but the crowd wasn't quite coming along for the ride. As one particularly cold audience member put it, "In the old days, you could boo them." (Ouch.) Many of the tunes seemed more suited for listening to alone in one's room than being played for an audience.

But before seeing Frightened Rabbit live, we might've assumed that some of its more subdued songs were better suited for the bedroom than the stage. However, the band members, and particularly frontman Scott Hutchinson, injected an impressive amount of emotion (and sweat) into their performance, making every song electrifying in its own way. Starting the show with an abortive introduction—"you know who the fuck we are"—Hutchinson moved on to thank the audience before the next song, saying "We don't sell out much, so this is really special to us." Those who made it to the sold-out show were clearly devotees, singing along to every song and (sometimes obnoxiously) shouting out requests. The audience energy was palpable, and much stronger than that at any Boston show we've been to in a while. Such crowd involvement could have allowed the band to coast, but Frightened Rabbit put everything into its set, moving from song to song at a fast pace and satisfying even the frenzied audience. The performance came across as earnest, genuine, and poignant without being sappy, and it was thoroughly satisfying—no one who planned ahead and got a ticket could have been disappointed. The joy of the show contrasted with Frightened Rabbit's sometimes-dark material, but that's as it should be: you don't want to go to a rock show to get depressed. You can do that pretty well alone in your room, though it might not keep you warm.