AIPTO: Dog Problems (The Format)

Who? The Format opened for Guster when I went to see them in Macon, and again at Furman and Erskine. The fun part was that I’d liked them enough in Macon to learn some of their songs for the next two shows, so at the South Carolina shows I was able to sing along and act like a real fan. The trouble is, Keri (my official concert buddy) and I found The Format fans to be super obnoxious. In fact, now whenever I see someone wearing a shirt for The Format, I think “well, you have decent taste in music, but you’re probably obnoxious.” One must not judge a band on their fans, however…and I do like the vibe of The Format. Also, they’re the first opening band that I looked forward to hearing, rather than simply hoping they’d finish so I could see who I came to see.
Why it’s awesome: One of the things I respect about The Format is that although they look like an emo band, they aren’t really an emo band. Borderline, perhaps, but they’re certainly not too far over. Their lyrics are clever when you can understand them, and musically they’re definitely talented. Notable also is that they have a good bit of cross-album continuity, which I dig, and also aren’t afraid of songs that change pace/style midway through (think Bohemian Rhapsody). They do have this one song, though, where the lead singer totally sounds like a country singer and that’s a little disturbing. Whatever…I’m glad I came across the band.
One Word:Fun
Song Rec: The Compromise. Clever premise, catchy tune. If you look up the lyrics they're easier to understand.
Link: TheFormat.com