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Review: Dashboard Confessional, Sold Out And Singing On South Street

By Michael Cerio

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Now they are nurses and financial analysts and project managers, but for many at the sold out TLA in Philadelphia they were once angsty adolescents who found solace in the acoustic loneliness and love of Dashboard Confessional.

Monday night they reconvened to shout his words back at him with joy.

Playing the first of two sold out nights on South Street, Chris Carrabba and company, who comprise the heartfelt "emo" outfit, played to a room filled with passion and gleeful intensity that has persisted despite their last full length album being released seven years ago.

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(credit: Michael Cerio)

Their new stuff is "coming out one day."

"That's the release date – one day," Carrabba joked during the set in-between bouts of bouncing spryly across the stage.

The now 41-year-old Carrabba appeared ageless with slicked black hair and the skinniest of jeans. As always he showed off a certain sweetness, with any expletives uttered on-stage seeming to be immediately apologized for by kind eyes and sincere songwriting.

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(credit: Michael Cerio)

Many in the crowd grew up alongside the music of Dashboard Confessional in one time or another, with some younger folks sprinkled throughout experiencing the sing-a-long show perhaps for the first time.

Also of the next generation was Cameron Boucher from the band Sorority Noise, who Carrabba introduced and invited to play a song solo during the show. The band that now calls Philadelphia home is covered by Dashboard Confessional on a recent covers EP.

As the warm orange glow of stage lights shifted to intense red and white one last time, the whole building sang along to their 2003 hit "Hands Down" and shook the structure with enthusiasm. For many it's a reminder of the best days they "can ever remember", for Carrabba just the first of two in the city of brotherly love.

Dashboard Confessional returns to the TLA tonight at 7:30 p.m.

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