Say Anything pulls strings to make Vegas show special

Since first emerging more than a decade ago, Max Bemis has been one of the more captivating musicians. From delivering lines that leave listeners in disbelief to enticing fans with erratic arrangements, Bemis has made consistently compelling music as the leader of Say Anything.

From the beginning, Bemis has had a pronounced knack for, well, saying anything, putting together phrases that make fans rewind repeatedly to absorb and appreciate his unfiltered lyricism. Take this quatrain from "Every Man Has a Molly," from 2004's "’€¦ Is a Real Boy," for instance:

"Here I am, laid bare, at the end of my rope. I've lost all hope. So Long! / Molly Connolly just broke up with me over the revealing nature of the songs/You goddamn kids had best be gracious with the merch money you spend / 'Cause for you, I won't ever have rough sex with Molly Connolly again."

Bemis' lyrics have been every bit as incisive since then. Take these lines from "Judas Decapitation," from "Hebrews," Say Anything's excellent 2014 album: "This is the tale of a bearded sloth, who debases himself, so they can get their rocks off / Recruits five skinny better looking men to play guitar parts he'll never play again."

Speaking of getting gratification from things that will never be played again: Bemis is bringing along a quartet that will perform all of the string parts from "Hebrews," as well as adding complements to older tracks from past albums. If you're a Say Anything fan, you definitely don't want to miss this show, as Bemis has indicated that fans may never be able to hear these tunes in this fashion again after this.

Read more from Dave Herrera at bestoflasvegas.com. Contact him at dherrera@reviewjournal.com.