Nearing the one-year anniversary of the release of its fifth album, Dark Is The Way, Light Is A Place, Christian rock five-piece Anberlin, which hails from the US, performs at The Wall (這牆) tomorrow.
“As cliche as it sounds, I believe love and music are international languages,” lead singer Stephen Christian said in an e-mail interview earlier this week. “I feel as though people of all ages, religions, backgrounds, etc., can relate with Anberlin even if they don’t share the same faith as me.”
The band is arriving in Taiwan fresh off tour dates in Japan, Thailand and China. How does the music translate? “In Japan, people sing along with every word of every song, but you could talk to them in between songs and they would have no clue what you were saying,” Christian said.
Photo Courtesy of Anberlin
Hard-working Anberlin is known for delivering energetic, passionate and sweaty performances. The band performs an average of 200 live shows per year. On track for achieving the same feat this year, the band has toured extensively throughout Asia and North America, with future dates set for Europe, South America and festivals in between. “I want to put in 100 percent every time I hit the stage. I may have to pay a price the 23 hours [we’re] off stage but it’s worth it,” Christian said.
The band, from central Florida, formed in 2002 and steadily grew a fan base with its catchy alt-rock and intelligent lyrics. The group’s fourth studio effort, New Surrender, saw the band reach new heights of popularity when the first single release, Feel Good Drag, became the No. 1 radio track on US Billboard’s Hot Modern Rock Tracks in 2009, and the 30th top track of the decade.
With the new album bringing Grammy-winning producer Brendan O’Brien (Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen) into the studio and into the fold, Anberlin’s popularity continues to grow.
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