Anthony Green injected love and life into a surprisingly family-friendly crowd at White Oak Music Hall on Saturday.
For those in the scene that don’t know Anthony Green, shut up, yes you do.
From Saosin to Circa Survive and a smattering of solo projects in between, Anthony Green has had a career spanning decades and defining genres. Most recently, he spent the earlier part of 2025 touring across the U.S. fronting supergroup L.S. Dunes featuring talent from My Chemical Romance and Coheed and Cambria. Now, he’s taken a step back in time to revisit 2008 solo project Avalon in So Long, Avalon. However, it’s a fresh reworking of the songs that, dare I say, have a richer take on vocals only age and experience can provide.
Post-hardcore pioneer Geoff Rickley gave a solid opening set. He was followed by contemporary Kurt Travis. Around nine, Green and his touring band filed on stage. The non-traditional setup seemed to make everyone more at ease. Percussion and Green served as bookends on either side of the stage. The rest of the musicians filed into a neat row in the back.
With “Deep in The Heart of Texas” as a backtrack
“Hello, Texas,” Green said. “Thank you for joining us this evening…kick it!”
They dove into action with “Baby Girl” as the opener. The crowd screams back with startling enthusiasm as the stage lights up in happy reds and yellows. The album cover features a beach scene printed on a postcard, what seems to be a brown teddy bear coat hung across the back of a beach chair. Following the established vibe, the proscenium stage presents itself to look like a postcard. A giant squirrel and otter hang out under a full moon cutout in the backdrop. Fans seem attached, cheering before curtains when a staff picked the critters up when they fell.
Unmatched energy
It’s interesting to watch an energy like Green be contained behind a guitar. Still, he still managed to pour out a lot of his signature energy. He threw his hands in the sky during parts of “Drug Dealer” as the crowd roared back at him and copied.
The set is extremely danceable, largely aided by the addition of a trumpeter. Green was quick to praise the rest of the band, and anyone he could name. Early on, even Alan on the monitors got a shout out for being ‘amazing at his job.’ In person, Green comes across not as a distant rock star but as a down-to-earth host, effortlessly bridging the gap between stage and audience.
The biggest crowd reaction might have been during “She Loves Me So”, when the crowd swelled in unison. Those with more space in the back were hooking onto each other’s necks as they sang. Surprisingly, the show had a family-friendly vibe. Children stood next to parents near the back. Children in denser areas made themselves seen by climbing up on parents’ shoulders.
Green played the last two songs alone under a blanket of red lights. The audience struggled to contain themselves as he played Saosin’s “Seven Years” and Circa Survive’s “Holding Someone’s Hair Back,” clearly wanting nothing more than to jump and scream.
Worth the wait
After finishing up, he promised an encore in five minutes (it turned into 10). However, the encore was well worth the wait. Green returned with the full band and started with solo darling “I Don’t Want to Die Tonight.”
“Getting to do this shit has been my dream, I feel really grateful to be able to be here and spend this time with you tonight,” Green said, sweeping his eyes over the faces on the floor. “I see a lot of you there that I’ve seen at shows for the past 20 years, it makes me feel so cared for; I see people I’ve never seen before, and that makes me feel so strong.”
Though intimate words, he exercises that special ability he has to make even the largest room feel tiny. People screamed along to “Get Out.” Green pointedly stepped away from his mic multiple times with a smile, proving he wasn’t even missed with the way fans’ voices towed the line. “Devil’s Song” closed, a track I’d like to argue is the best out of all the album’s reworked songs.
Food for thought
Green ends the night with some trademark words for thought. He makes it clear that music is not an escape from current events but active participation.
“We’re just about to play our last song,” Green started. He breaks out in a grin when people expressed their playful opposition. “No, that’s okay, things come to an end. It’s finality that makes things truly beautiful. This took me a long time to realize that this feeling that you have from music or art, the feeling you might have from the show, take it with you. Take it everywhere.
“Look around, we’re in this little community, we’re all taking care of each other. Out in the world, all this terrifying shit happening every day, makes us forget that this is possible. A united people will always have the power, that’s why they’re trying so hard to make it not cool to care about people, to care about shit, to want to live in a world where people aren’t just getting shot for no reason, bombing children, where everything is about money, everything is about hoarding everything for yourself. I’m sick and tired of living like that, I know you are too.
“Don’t forget that when you leave here, the same consideration that you give to us as complete strangers belongs to every person you meet. We’re getting really close to a time now where just speaking out against the war is gonna get you in a lot of trouble… so let’s get in some fucking trouble.”
So Long, Avalon is available to order and steam online or to purchase in a record store near you.
I am a multimedia journalist with a passion for guitar-based music – be that rock-n-roll, bachata, or anything in between. When not in a mosh pit, I can be found knitting, collecting CDs, thrifting, journaling, or attempting to incite chaos among feuding global powers. I hold a bachelors degree in Broadcast Journalism and a masters degree in Mass Communication from the University of Houston, making me twice the Coog you'll ever be 😉
