Dillinger Escape Plan Have Off Night

The Dillinger Escape Plan are the kind of band you can see countless times and never fully get tired of because they are without question one of the most intense live acts you're likely to see in your lifetime.

They're so good, in fact, that they don't even need to be supporting an album to draw a sizeable crowd on relatively short notice — even when they're in direct competition with the 500 or so other bands who were also in town for North By Northeast.

Unfortunately, it seems the band themselves got wind of their own onstage cred, as they delivered a performance that, while still characteristically energetic, was not on par with their usual level of intensity or unpredictability. The kids ate it up regardless, but it left something to be desired for the older fans.

The biggest reason for this criticism was their setlist. I saw the band two nights in a row the last time they visited our side of the border and forgave them for playing identical sets at both gigs for two reasons:

1. The gigs were part of the same tour and;

2. It's a wonder the band can even recreate those songs in a live environment to begin with.

However, a year and a half later, it's somewhat disappointing to see the exact same songs on display — especially since the arrival of new drummer Billy Rymer indicates they specifically chose these songs for him to learn instead of switching up the setlist.

The inclusion of two rarely played live tracks — the jazzy Ire Works closer "Mouth Of Ghosts" and their Mike Patton-led Aphex Twin cover of "Come To Daddy" — broke things up a fair bit, but more unexpected choices would have made the night far more memorable.

While I'll never get tired of seeing the boys play "The Running Board" or "43% Burnt," I wouldn't have minded if they'd substituted the usual Calculating Infinity favourites in favour of more deep cuts, or even showcased some new songs. The exclusion of new material was particularly baffling given the band are set to record their fourth album, Option Paralysis, immediately following this tour.

Another complaint comes from vocalist Greg Puciato being less... uh... vocal than he normally is between songs. The imposing frontman's sense of humour is one of the most entertaining aspects of the band — just read their MySpace blogs for proof — and though he actively endorsed audience participation (including one hilarious incident where he singled out a fan who didn't actually know the words to one of their songs), the lack of barbed commentary felt like we were shorted on the Escape experience.

All that said, I'm still willing to give the band a pass considering most other bands' strongest sets could never match the level of intensity on display here. The gig was only a disappointment if you're familiar with the usual amounts of havoc these Jersey boys wreak.

In the end, if you've seen the band several times before, you'd still be hard-pressed to contest that The Dillinger Escape Plan bring it harder than almost any other band — even on an off night.