Although the suburbs of Philadelphia will always be Anthony Green’s primary residence, the singer-songwriter gets a hometown hero’s welcome every time he comes through Southern California. Whether with Circa Survive, one of his many other bands, or as a solo act under his own name, Green’s massive crowds and sold-out shows prove that Orange County fans haven’t forgotten where the vocalist joined Saosin back in the early 2000s — and that love has never been one-sided.
“The people of Orange County have been supporting me for a long time,” Green says. “I came out there as a transplant from Philadelphia to play in Saosin, and everything I’ve done out there ever since then has been supported. I feel like I can’t do enough for my people out there, and it’s an amazing feeling to come to California and have a fan base that’s like a hometown fan base. That’s a dream I’ve had ever since I was a little kid. People thought that’s where I was from, and I loved that. I cherish it in my heart like I would with Philadelphia. I feel like it’s my second hometown, and I will always claim it if they will have me.”
When Green takes the stage at the Garden Grove Amphitheatre on July 17 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his first solo record, Avalon, that mutual appreciation will be in full effect. Aside from reliving the veteran songwriter’s iconic debut album, fans will also get a taste of his latest work, last month’s Would You Still Be In Love. For those in attendance seeking nothing but nostalgia, following up Avalon with the new record may not be ideal, but the juxtapositioning has allowed Green to see the evolution of the first decade of his solo career every night on the road. As he finishes each evening with a handful of new tracks, Would You Still Be In Love certainly seems like a fitting cap for Green’s solo work to this point, drawing appreciation even from those who were only there to relive their late-2000s youth.
Of course, when you have a catalogue as massive and varied as Green’s has become over the last 21 years, it’s impossible to please every fan with any single show — regardless of which act he’s currently touring with. After releasing four full albums since May 2016 (two solo records, Circa Survive’s The Amulet, and Saosin’s Along the Shadow), Green knows that each of his three primary acts serve a different audience and provide a different creative outlet for him.
“The trick to the balance of [all three bands] is that there isn’t a balance of it,” Green says. “You have to starve one to feed another. I try to get one completely satisfied and full before I move on to the next one, like a mama bird feeding her young” Green says it’s weird to be on tour without the guys in Circa after a whole year of being on the road with them. In some ways, there’s less pressure and less work, and there’s a lot more of a DIY vibe amongst the crew and his band–many of which he’s been touring with and making music with since high school.
“I feel like I have this band behind me where I’m a bandleader, whereas in Circa it’s more like I’m just part of the mix,” Green continues. “The live shows for Circa and my solo shit are both intense experiences, but they’re different types of intensity. It’s like if you go have breakfast with somebody who only eats cereal for breakfast as opposed to if you went to breakfast with somebody who has a tofu scramble. You’re still getting breakfast, but it’s a different experience.”
Avalon 10 Year Anniversary Tour with Anthony Green, Good Old War, Found Wild, 7:30 p.m., $25,all ages, Garden Amp, 12762 Main St., Garden Grove, (949) 415-8544, gardenanmp.com
Josh Chesler used to play baseball for some pretty cool teams, but now he just writes about awesome stuff like tattoos, music, MMA and sneakers. He enjoys injuring himself by skateboarding, training for fights, and playing musical instruments in his off time.