Hi 
I’m Brittany.
I’ve been poking around in some of the forums today, but I’ve mostly been a hermit up until now. I’ve been a fan for the past 16 years, and am only just getting to see them live this Friday in AR. As you can imagine, I’m beyond stoked and am only counting down the minutes.
What’s the best show you’ve been to so far?
Did AFI open or were they headlining?
Tell me your stories and get me pumped for mine!
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Out of 46 shows im gonna say last year during mourning amerika tour at nashville was my favorite No singles except miss murder and before playing ziggy stardust Davey dedicated it to me liked and commented my video I captured of it all after a conversation during blood tour 2 years about How I never got to see it live and how beautifully he sang it.
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What an incredible experience! You literally lived that moment to the fullest!
I’ve seen them headlining in Mexico twice, but my favorite was them opening for Rise Against. Got to see The Nephilim, This Celluloid Dream and Paper Airplanes live. Met the band afterwards, Adam gave me the floor tom patch and got it signed. Amazing.
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Before getting into AFI I was never super excited about going to see any bands. When I was introduced to AFI… for whatever reason I went nuts. I found a connection INSTANTLY as soon as Davey started singing in the Lost Souls… I was captured. There was something about it.
Like many of us on here, my first show seeing them was in 2001 during Warped Tour. AFI were in Hawaiian shirts… not their idea. I have photos from the event… and I could’ve swore I took a photo of Davey taking the Hawaiian hat off and throwing it into the crowd, but I think that one is lost forever.
However, to think back to thatr particular show… there is an awesome coincidence… AFI had posted a news story apologizing for the Hawaiian shirts at the SAME TIME that the contest to name the DF ended.
The best show I’ve seen of AFI was 6.18.17… in Sayerville, NJ. They played Totalimmortal as their encore, plus I got to meet Adam, Jade, Hunter and Smith after the show… I even made Smith sign my set list. <3 (he drew an old school AFI logo on my set list and signed “Smith”)
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Seeing them at The Beacham in Orlando was pretty damn memorable, for reasons both good and bad. The good, of course, is that they put on a very energetic show and the setlist was pretty badass. My sister went with me to that show and was like “I can see why you love them so much now”, lol. We met this lady there who was quite pregnant (I forget her name - I’m terrible with that stuff), and security wouldn’t let her sit down anywhere (apparently the tables on the balcony were reserved - we could stand there, but not sit at the tables). She threatened to let her water break on them. I’d say that’s one of the bad reasons it was memorable - just let the woman have a fucking seat. That lady was super cool, and when I felt a legit panic attack coming on for some reason (over excitement? I don’t know) she helped calm me down. Security at that venue is always pretty damn rude from my experience - they were shitty at the Ghost and Against Me! shows I attended there too. If you’re in Orlando, don’t go to The Beacham unless it’s a band you really want to see. Sound quality’s not as good as at The Plaza or House of Blues either when it comes to similar-sized venues, so there’s that.
Also, apparently Jesse Slaughter was at that show. At least, I was reading rumors that she was. I’m not sure if that’s true, but if it was, consequences will never be the same.
Anyway, here’s a super good video someone took of them playing “I Hope You Suffer” that night. Sound is kinda iffy, but the video itself is great!
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wow it sounds like a lot of people have interesting experiences at shows.
My favorite show experience was after the Minneapolis show on the Blood Tour. I really wanted to meet Jade super bad and I was starting to think he would not come out from the venue. So I gave my artwork to Smith. A few minutes later both Smith and Jade come out. Jade was trying to figure out who was the one that gave him the artwork. I held up my hand in a shy way. Jade looks at me and says “Thank you. That was was very kind of you. I really appreciate it.” while flipping the hair out of his face. I just stood there and could not believe that he was looking at me.
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Awesome story. I love Smith… he did that for me on the Blood tour also. I also had Smith sign my setlist…
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I had a great time with you guys after the show. It’s thanks to you that I got to meet the band.
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I dont know about that all I did was wait by the bus like normal and told you to hold tight. I did message hunter on instagram and when told there was only like 5 if us he did come out cause hes wonderful AF same goes for Jade 3 days ago at the cleveland ohio show he threw me a pick and the gaurd literally taunted it in my face and said I dont know who they are but i collect picks you cant have this then 2 days ago in Charlotte he gave me one before the started playing:black_heart:
I caught a 2nd Hunter one yesterday in Atlanta and giving it to a friend who asked I have mine now anything I get goes to people who message me asking for one.
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The only time I saw them was in 2003 at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago. I was casually into them before, but when StS came out, they became my favorite band. That CD never left my car radio for probably a year or more.
Seeing them at the height of my obsession with them was almost a religious experience. And was certainly the best show of my life. I’ve never pulled the trigger on seeing them again, though I have had many opportunities, because no matter how good they are, I don’t think anything could top that night back in 2003 for me.
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For me Any show during the BSITS or AOD era where the best… most were small-ish club shows… the Toronto secret show part of the 5 flowers mystery thing was definitely one of the best I’ve attended… it was at the now defunct Reverb in Toronto in the spring of 2006… maybe 150-200 people there…we were told it was a “listening party” for the new album (DU)… they had DU playing over the speakers and you could clearly see the stage was set up for them … just some loose sheets blocking the drum kit and guitar rigs… a few minutes after the final song of DU played the sheets were removed from the stage and the band walked out jumped on stage and played for 60-90 minutes… once it was over we were all given DU posters and a 2 song CD single with hand stamped rabbit logo… the intimate setting was by far the best part and all hardcore AFI fans
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Yes to your point @KC81… I’ll never forget the show in 2003… I’m pretty sure it was the 9:30 Club… there was a meet & greet before the show and I was one of the selected few. I’m pretty sure you had to sign up for them when they opened it up and if you did in time, you were submitted.
But getting to meet the band… they were all in their own little corner of the venue talking to fans, signing autographs… I’ll never forget that.
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Most ‘important’ show I’ve been to was Birmingham, UK in 2010. Last show of the Crash Love tour in the UK. After a couple of ok shows in Nottingham and London, I went up to Newcastle for what was for me a totally lacklustre show. Crowd wasn’t great, performance didn’t feel as tight as usual. They did play No Poetic device, which was pretty much the only memorable thing from that show. Came away from it feeling like maybe I’d grown out of the band, and they just weren’t for me anymore. Birmingham was the following night and truthfully if it wasn’t pretty much on my way home anyway I probably wouldn’t have gone, and that would have been that.
I did go though and walked in just as Sick Of It All started their set. They’d been pretty solid on the tour up to that point, but this time they were really on it, it was an amazing set, and even if AFI couldn’t match it, that was worth the money alone.
AFI came out and something felt different. There was a bit more of a buzz about the crowd and the band seemed to feed off that. Sick of It All were good, they were really good, but AFI somehow managed to just raise the bar into orbit. I never saw it coming, and the performance blew me away. Suddenly the new album (CL) made sense, songs from Sing The Sorrow and Decemberunderground that we’re feeling a little tired and overused had a new freshness about them.
Then there was a standout moment, deep into the set, just before the encore when much of the crowd who had been to multiple shows on the tour were expecting the unmistakable sounds of hunters bass telling us it was time for Death Of Seasons, nothing. Instead a low electronic hum and followed by the single sound of palm muting. ‘But Home Is Nowhere’. This was special. Never expected to hear that live, they hadn’t played it since the STS tour, and even then it was a rarity. It topped off an amazing show and I walked away buzzing.
I’ve been to hundreds of shows now over the years and there aren’t too many that left me feeling like that walking away from it, just that overwhelming feeling of euphoria. It brought my passion for the band right back from teetering in the edge the night before, and since then haven’t looked back.
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How was your first AFI show?! I’ve only seen them twice even though I’ve been a fan for forever, but my first experience was magical. How was yours??
I’m never going to get over the fact that I only first saw them in 2017, because I started listening around 2004 and I could have seen some amazing shows, but you know how being 14 years old is. What can ya do? Haha
My first show was fine, but it was the first concert I had been to in about 10 years and I didnt know what to expect. I didnt know about the chanting at the beginning. I didnt know to expect a line a mile long showing up an hour early. I didnt know davey literally walks on the crowd. I didnt know encores were a thing and almost left too soon (husband got injured during last song but then I saw them come out to encore with totalimmortal and i was mad at myself for leaving but i did right by my husband so empathy points i guess?).
My second show i went alone and stayed until i actually got to meet everyone (and was a stupid stuttering mess while thanking davey because I was meeting my idol) and the show was amazing. I will remember that feeling the rest of my life. It’s not just the show, it’s showing up to a venue 4 hours away at 7am for a concert that’s not until 8pm and theres STILL PEOPLE THERE ALREADY. And it’s the getting to know people and passing the time and honestly it was a huge adventure.
I’ve seen them at red rocks, both headlining and opening for rise against. But man that fucking headlining tour. Just as they were about to hit stage I was worried the concert was going to be cancelled for lightening. If you’ve never seen red rocks please look it up so you can see the natural beauty of that place. But just as they were gonna open, the wind was whipping, it was dark, there was thunder in the background and it was sprinkling just a bit. And then all the fucking sudden you start to hear miseria cantare. Fucking magical.
Large amphitheater shows definitely pale in comparison to smaller venues, always. But that particular one I cant even be mad about. I spent way too much money to have literally front row center seats for their opening for the smashing pumpkins in mountain view this year and it was the worst show ever, because I don’t even like the smashing pumpkins and afi only played headliners. Mostly it was an excuse to visit a friend who lives in Cali because I’m in Europe right now but yeah, very lackluster compared to previous experiences. I would always go for headlining tours if you want it to be memorable.
2001 - Warped Tour
2002 - Warped Tour (I think?)
2003 - Jan 29th, Opera House, Toronto, ONT
Setlist:
Strength Through Wounding
The Prayer Position
Sacrifice Theory
Triple Zero
Girl’s Not Grey
Ever and a Day
Now the World
A Single Second
This Secret Ninja
Morningstar
The Despair Factor
The Hanging Garden (The Cure cover)
Midnight Sun
The Days of the Phoenix
Encore:
God Called in Sick Today
Totalimmortal
2009 - Oct. 9th, Town Ballroom Buffalo
Setlist:
Torch Song
Girl’s Not Grey
The Leaving Song Pt. II
Veronica Sawyer Smokes
Ever and a Day
Kill Caustic
End Transmission
Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing
Beautiful Thieves
Dancing Through Sunday
The Leaving Song
On the Arrow
Death of Seasons
Medicate
Love Like Winter
Encore:
The Interview
Miss Murder
Silver and Cold
2014 - Feb 1st - Town Ballroom, Buffalo, NY
Setlist:
The Leaving Song Pt. II
Girl’s Not Grey
I Hope You Suffer
Wester
Love Like Winter
Ever and a Day
17 Crimes
The Leaving Song
Beautiful Thieves
Kill Caustic
Greater Than 84 (Live debut)
The Days of the Phoenix
6 to 8
Miss Murder
Encore:
The Conductor
Dancing Through Sunday
Silver and Cold
2017 - Feb 1st, Danforth Music Hall, Toronto, ONT
Setlist:
This Celluloid Dream
17 Crimes
Aurelia
Love Like Winter
Okay, I Feel Better Now (First time live since 2010)
The Leaving Song Pt. II
Beautiful Thieves
Dumb Kids
Silver and Cold
Rabbits Are Roadkill on Rt. 37
6 to 8
The Days of the Phoenix
I Hope You Suffer
Snow Cats
Miss Murder
Encore:
The Leaving Song
Girl’s Not Grey
Encore 2:
The Lost Souls
Didn’t really answer all the questions, but I thought this would be fun to bring up the old set lists and reminisce.
I was at that show! My memory has failed me entirely and I can’t remember who supported - any ideas?