The air at Mesa Amphitheatre was ringing on a temperate Tuesday night with the voices of hundreds of fans singing in unison to the music of Dashboard Confessional.

Chris Carrabba, lead singer and songwriter of Dashboard Confessional, had few words of introduction for a crowded house that cried out and sang along throughout his band's set. The band headlined the show with Thrice, The Get Up Kids and the Valley's own The Format at the outdoor venue.

Singing in his signature surfer-dude-meets-choir-boy alto, Carrabba
alternated between his acoustically mellow early recordings and more
sonically enhanced tunes from Dashboard Confessional's latest album "A Mark.

A Mission. A Brand. A Scar." The extended band - comprised of Johnny Leffler on rhythm guitar, Scott Schoenbeck on bass and Mike Marsh on drums – backed him on most songs.

Dashboard Confessional hoarded their saddest songs for last, playing an
encore that included "Hands Down" and "Vindicated," the track recorded for the "Spider-Man 2" soundtrack. During the radio and MTV smash hit "Screaming Infidelities," the din of the crowd reached such levels that Carrabba stepped away from the microphone, letting the audience sing for him.

"This show was so much better because of the venue," said 18-year-old Becki Ramsey, of Scottsdale, who has seen Dashboard Confessional four times.

"Anywhere in here you've got a good seat. And it's so nice that it's
outside."

East Valley heroes The Format opened the show just days after finishing
their own tour. They played a handful of songs, including their local radio hit "Tune Out."