Dear Leader Rocks Me ... Again 

Pretty much everytime I go to a Dear Leader show, I leave happy. Last night at the Paradise was no different. The guys just put on a good show. It's the right mix of new stuff, old stuff, and "famous" stuff (since DL really only have one hit, and it's just a local one). They're just a fun band to watch, and they've got their stuff so tight now that you just notice how much they're in sync and play off each other. Definitely worth checking out whenever you get the chance. And, as always, they brought the house down with the live, full version of "A Nation Once Again", a song that really needs to get the full studio treatment.

Opening bands The Douglas Fir and Taxpayer were both quite good as well. The Douglas Fir I had never heard before, and they're a nifty little pop band that sounds vaguely Cure-ish or Smiths-ish. Taxpayer is a band I have seen before, and last time I liked them, but wasn't enamored. This time they blew me away. They sound like a poppier Interpol. Damn good stuff; I'll probably pick it up at Newbury Comics in the next couple of days.