AFI

Born in empty clubs that took years to (over)fill, AFI’s longevity and commercial constitution are captured for the first time with a live disc recorded in one of their home state’s biggest venues. Call it "Revenge of the Goths” if you must but the widespread appreciation they’ve garnered over their 15-year ascent is well earned. Here, Sweeney Havok and his band of gleefully melodramatic man-witches march through their hour-long set (including encore) at full velocity, sounding particularly sharp when pulling from the sing-alongs that buoyed 2004’s still-satisfying Sing The Sorrow. Newer fodder fares worse removed from the studio sheen that fleshed out recent hits like "Love Like Winter.” Still, their live production elements rival any active band’s gizmos. And supported by Davey’s boundless vocal range, AFI’s songs are as stirring today as ever, no matter how big the space they’re occupying may be.