This weekend, the late and great Dismemberment plan came together again (After almost 4 years of break up time) for 2 nights only to play for sold-out audiences at the Black Cat for the benefit of Callum Robbins, the son of J.Robbins.

We asked James Drew Comstock, Dplan superfan and attendee of BOTH shows (and whose full first, middle and last name we just love to say out loud in a sequence) to write up the review/experience: off you go James:

Onward, Fat Girl!

J. Robbins began the show with information about Spinal Muscular Atrophy and talked about his son, Callum Robbins (please read and donate here). Washington, D.C. loves J. Robbins and he appeared very pleased and a bit overwhelmed by the indie community’s response to his son’s condition. It was an emotional beginning to a big night, but there wasn’t a sad face in the crowd when the Plan launched into the old favorite “Doing the Standing Still” on Saturday. Although the Friday show included free cake (!!!) that was passed around the audience and inevitably tossed about in the air, there was something altogether lacking. A certain je ne se quoi that was found in all the exciting shows of the years past. Was it the noticeable lack of those awesome cereal-box dancers that would jump around onstage? (pff – almost certainly) Was it singer Travis Morrison’s lack of energy and reservation to really belt out those climactic high notes? Saturday’s show made the answer quite apparent – it was all about the crowd. Saturday seemed to include more old-school fans that were ready to sing every lyric and pump their fists to songs from “The Dismemberment Plan is Terrified” and “!”. But that’s not to say the newer songs weren’t moving people. “Pay for the Piano”, “Ellen and Ben”, and “Gyroscope” were all major hits, and a D-Plan audience may have never been so energetic as during “The City.” The floor was literally shaking underneath the crowd during “What Do You Want Me To Say?” Saturday’s version of “Back and Forth” may have been the best live version of the song that the band has played. Really, people, need “Ice of Boston” even be mentioned? As to be expected, a giant mass of the audience was dancing onstage (at worst as a mere re-creation of what the Plan shows used to be – at best a climactic and exciting homage) All in all, one might not have be able to tell that the band hadn’t toured in several years. Every odd time signature was perfectly herky-jerky. Every riff change was spot-on. Now if we can just get Jawbox and Fugazi to reunite alongside next time……

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These photos were taken on the second night of the show (with Beauty Pill and Owls and Crows) and were supplied to us by the ever wonderful and present Shervin Lainez of shervinfoto. With a few added bonus backstage Travis Morrison exclusive shots.

The whole city was at the Cat (or so it felt), coming together for both a good cause and for reliving of purely-DC-gold memories and we hope this allows you to either relive it or connect the missing dots from this weekend.

dplan in action:

beauty pill:

travis:

and for more (just seen) photos courtesy of photoroo

click here

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