TREE CITY SESSIONS 3 REVIEW, OPENING THOUGHTS:

Sean: I think it is simple to say Dance Gavin Dance is my favorite band. Any era has its own distinct aura that has carried these post-hardcore legends to other bands, greater albums, and legacies of their own past DGD (Kurt Travis, Zachary Garren, Jonny Craig, and Tilian Pearson). So I'll just take this from the OG Dance Gavin Dance fan perspective. This Tree City Session is for the OG’s, no doubt about it. Two DBM songs, a song from WISIRO, two songs from Happiness, two songs from Death Star, two songs from DBM 2, and three Tilian tracks that have some lyric changes that may surprise you. Jon, Will, Andrew, and Matt have formed a new army of band members to fill in the positions for members lost, including Sergio Medina on bass and Martin Bianchini on guitar, a “Pantheon” of swancore musicians if you will, to bring a new vision and perfection to these DGD deepcuts that are featured on TCS3!

Justin: Ahhh yes, the ol DGD. A band of whom I have a tattoo of the robot with human hair. A band that I carried a lighter of for four years in my pocket that had their name on the case. A band of whom, without them, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. As a fan of the band, to say the last few years have been somewhat stale, and little bit ehh phase of the band would be a fair statement. I’m here to tell you that it has ended the minute this record kicks up. 

TRACK 1: IT’S SAFE TO SAY YOU DIG THE BACK SEAT

Sean: As a comparison to the original, it's almost perfect. Interviewing Andrew several times he is known to be a Jonny Craig fan finding that “Downtown Battle Mountain CD at FYE”. This is the start on TCS3 that I believe is Andrew's tribute to Jonny. Like dude you're a vocal legend nothing can change that, but hear me do you at my best! This song is an absolute JC ballad on DBM1 and Andrew brings the song back to life that hasn't seen the light of day since “When You Were Young Fest 2024”. (Need a fact check lol)

Justin: A classic that any true fan of Dance Gavin Dance would immediately be ready to throw down for. If you’re unaware, it comes off of their debut album, Downtown Battle Mountain. It is the second track off of that album. Andrew absolutely steals the show on this song, sir absolutely murders the clean vocals of this song. As many of you know, Jonny Craig is not easy to replicate, Andrew not only has the ability to match notes but add his own integrity and style to the song that truly makes the experience so much more enjoyable. The rest of the band also absolutely crushes this song. I will warn you if you're reading this, and I say crush. It has now turned into a drinking game. Start doing shots. But THEY FUCKING CRUSH THIS SONG.

Period.

Nostalgia but gets an update. 

TRACK 2: THE ROBOT WITH HUMAN HAIR, PT.3

Sean: A Fun Tribute to the Robot with Human Hair saga by playing Kurt Travis (Pt.3). The band originally dropped this song as the first Dance Gavin Dance song to feature Kurt Travis on lead vocals in May of 2008. How fitting for Andrew to go to town on this song and hit that high pitched “soooo” at the end. “The Robot With Human Hair pt 3” was resurrected last year on the “Return of the Robot Tour”. DGD hadn't played this particular Robot song since debuting Tilian in 2013. He would only play (Robot 2.5 (JC), 4, Son, and Death Of, or any others he's sung in the Saga). 

Justin: This song is off their sophomore album, commonly referred to as Death Star, but is actually self-titled. Now unfortunately, I don’t really listen to the Kurt stuff from DGD. Love Royal Coda, love Gold Necklace, adored Eternity Forever, however my thoughts on him in DGD are ehh, just wasn’t my favorite in the albums. Anyways, I’m familiar enough with the song to know how it goes, the energy of the music in this album just feels amped, like a wave of incredible energy. Jon and Andrew came into this song swinging, and so did the rest of the band. Once again, gives a very much needed update to their sound while still being nostalgic.

TRACK 3: NEED MONEY

Sean: Going into the song, there are a lot of flaws on DBM2. JC at the time had a “problem” and every recording is going in sounding out melodies and pretty much leaving it to be “all good” years later. The Band has revisited this song and I imagine Andrew had a sort of rewriting to do for lyric changes, sounding out the melodies JC left behind. Andrew formed them into the new lyrics “You Can't Touch My Bank Account” then went into “Tree City 3 Uh!”. That was his way of saying “Dance Gavin Dance Baby Downtown Battle Mountain 2!!!!!”, if you know lol. This song was a great lead single off of TCS3!

Justin: A song off their fourth album, Downtown Battle Mountain 2. One of my personal favorites of their entire catalog. I can’t say this enough, Andrew is the goat of this experience. This was the first song I checked out of the singles and I was really excited. The added horn section to this song, really adds something special to this. Jon sounding better than ever and even some lyric changes as well. Great job all around, absolutely crushed it.

TRACK 4: EAGLE VS. CROW

Sean: OK so going into “Eagle VS Crow” Andrew had to do Tilian‘s vocals, all the “woahs, ayeee, Ohhh’s” trailing in the background from the original. I believe the band went into this song with a different direction. I do believe Andrew did these songs as much justice as possible due to the fact that he was Tilian's backing vocals for the first twelve years he was in the band. Eagle VS Crow is as perfect as it’s gonna get. I do think this song was brought out to make Will Swan shine moreso. The rap parts are awesome, everyone always wants to hear what Will has to say whether it’s auto tune singing or laying down absolute bars. It’s always great when his raps are included. Jon Mess is pretty much flawless on this album thus far.

Justin: A song off their sixth album, Instant Gratification. This is the first song we hear Andrew attempts at a Tilian era song. Jon brings the heat as usual hearing him doing these songs, Will adds his signature rapping, and Andrew really does his best on this. I love the artistic change he adds to it, a bit more grit with a lower key, and overall it still hits full swing though.

TRACK 5: BURNING DOWN THE NICOTINE ARMOIRE

Sean: So Burning Down The Nicotine Armoire is the song I’ve been waiting for since Tree City Sessions 1. Most people knew the album going in was the band selecting one song from each album and doing a live version of it, so hearing Tilian Pearson on a WISIRO song would probably be crazy as high-pitched as he is and as raw as Jonny Craig was on this album. A Tilian era DGD fan would only beg for something like that, but we never got it. Maybe it just never sounded right to the band. But Andrew I believe pushed for this as a Jonny Craig fan and a person who can sing like Jonny Craig in fact.

With Andrew’s ability to sing this song and the rest of the band willing to go back and rendition this ballad is great. With Sergio Medina and Martin Bianchini adding more layers to the backbone that is Will, Jon, and Matt. This song is revisited and brought back to life with tears in my eyes. As Dylan Tormy and Travis Platt were there for the moment last year in Detroit, I made them record the song while it was playing because I knew Andrew was gonna come over and sing it in my face. “I'd Be With You Under the Sky!” That moment right there brought me back to the time I found this EP and just knew it was a game changer for post hard-core. To sing it with him, the aura that that dude has is amazing. Nothing left to be said, this WISIRO song hits hard for any OG DGD fan.

Justin: This track is a song for true OG fans of the band to rejoice over, for it comes off their debut EP, “Whatever I Say Is Royal Ocean”. Something I feel I need to bring up here is, the Jonny stuff was never really played much, so hearing these nostalgic tracks from an older time period really brings me a lot of joy and excitement. The updated sound to this adds so much, it’s beautiful. Jon’s screams have only progressed since this time and Andrew is literally just fantastic at being the guy who can do it all, and I imagine as a fan of the band before being a part of it these were sung in the shower a lot. Nevertheless, they absolutely crush this song. The energy is perfection, the band just sounds so tight now, and it’s fucking awesome flat out. Andrew's solo singing with the track behind him is just an absolute highlight of this song.

TRACK 6: SELF-TREPANATION

Sean: Self-Trepanation has always been a transitioning song on “Happiness” as it is on Tree City Sessions 3. A deep cut in its own right that hasn't been on a setlist since its inception on the “Happiness Tour” in late 2009-2010. But serves as a gem to Happiness fans as Jon Mess does uncleans on this version and Andrew does another vocalist justice and hits the Happiness fans with a slap of nostalgia.

TRACK 7: SURPRISE! I’M FROM CUBA, EVERYONE HAS ONE BRAIN

Sean: This song is off the debut album, Downtown Battle Mountain. This used to be a regular on the set back in the DBM days. This song was recently resurrected during the WWWY Fest in 2025. I have to be honest this is my favorite song off of that record. It’s the closer! DGD is known for having phenomenal closers on each album, this one’s it for me. Andrew completely did this song justice. Giving this song life again shows how DGD can go back and give their hard and heavy shit from the beginning another go. The end of this song was perfect. Jon Mess on the spoken word was a chef's kiss.

Step back let goooooooo! 

Justin: Jon’s menacing screams, Andrew’s hauntingly beautiful cleans, the thunderous musicianship. Oh to be a fly on the wall for this enormous track.

TRACK 8: DOOM & GLOOM

Sean: “Doom & Gloom” is literally Andrew’s impression of Tilian at its rawest and most perfect form. This track was made over twelve years ago. A raw, young Tilian touring with DGD in 2012-2013, just finding his spot in the band at that time. And the fact Andrew was able to recapture that voice and this song in general in a sort of raw angst vocals like “Acceptance Speech” was brings to the table the fact this dude can match anyone from DGDs past, present, or future vocally.

Justin: When I say this is my favorite song off the entire record, I stand on business. This is one of my absolute favorite songs off of their fifth album, Acceptance Speech. Another song where Andrew most of the time was doing back ups for Tilian, but honestly I like his takes on those songs better. If there’s one song you should check out on this album it would be this one for sure. I love this song, you just hear the band going off and bringing the god damn heat. Andrews grittier style of singing just makes ya feel like we are on the fucking verge of something great. This song means a lot to me personally, and I loved this very much. Made me actually tear up when I heard it the first time. Will’s noodly guitar style as usual is absolutely bad ass as well. I feel like this song was more aggressive than usual, but I am 10000000000000000% behind it and hope they stay in that pocket. The one thing that I do wish is that Andrew would have done the long highs at the end of the song, but I still absolutely adore this song.

TRACK 9: REPROGRAMMING MENTAL PREPROGRAMMING

Sean: So I’ll put this song in the same category as “Self Trepanation", a deep cut in its own right on Happiness but for the Death Star album, Dance Gavin Dance’s self-titled. This song is basically fronted by Jon Mess as Kurt did the chorus in the original. This transitioning song is to keep Tree City 3 flowing just like any DGD album would. Andrew Wells, I would’ve liked to hear the “ewwws” and “ahhhs” under Jon screams on this track but I guess they can’t always be to the tee. This was a good song to pick back up in the DGD set list though.

TRACK 10: SWAN SOUP

Sean: Thank God again for Andrew being a JC fan! As a DGD fan, we haven’t seen “Swan Soup” performed since Jonny Craig was in the band in 2011. Bringing this song back to life shines a light back on to Will Swan, Sergio Medina, Martin Bianchini, Matt Mingus, and Jon Mess as they give this DBM2 deepcut a great live rendition of what people only saw on the “Downtown Battle Mountain 2 Tour” or the “All Stars 2011 Tour”!

Justin: We revisit DBM2 with a song I haven’t heard since Jonny was on tour with DGD for that album. Literally as I have said a hundred times I feel like Andrew is the star, he absolutely nails these parts. The band makes ya wanna dance hard in your living room. The funkiness mashed with post-hardcore is fully joined and felt in this song. Once again, they absolutely crush this performance. (Bet ya thought I forgot about the game, I didn’t)

TRACK 11: BLOODSUCKER

Sean: This is a song never performed by DGD live! This song is fuckin awesome! Written on the album “Artificial Selection”, Andrew Wells and Martin Bianchini being on guitar and writing for it as well. I wonder if that had any input into adding this song to the TCS setlist? Did Andrew also write lyrics to this song as well? They changed a little of the lyrics around too, having “narcissistic Machiavelli tells me he’s misunderstood” instead of “Popcorn in my Belly”. Might be Shade, might not be! Who knows?? Or they could just be having a little fun with the fans. Great song choice to choose from an album that half of its tracklist has already been played live!

Justin: A song off the “Artificial Selection” album, and an incredibly aggressive song. Jon mess brings the absolute fucking heat in this one, even angrier. Andrew absolutely brings his signature sound to the fold as well. 🤌🏼. That’s all I can really say. It’s fantastic all around.

TRACK 12: POWDER TO THE PEOPLE

Sean: Powder To The People is a fuckin banger! Always has been! It has always been one of the main reasons I listened to “Happiness”. Plus, WILL SWAN RAPS. Back in 2009 Will graced us with his rap lyrics about “Pressing All the Buttons”. Screaming through all of the “Happiness” record while Jon Mess was away. This song was only played a few times during the Kurt Travis era, but also had a revival in 2012 on Tilian Pearson's first tour with the band as DGDs encore. But to completely revive the song and do Andrew's backing vocals as well on TCS3, this was a great album closer back then as it is now!

Overall thoughts:

Sean: So TCS3 kicked ass! Honestly full of twelve DGD deep cuts. No wonder the cover is underwater deep sea themed. It's the band's way of paying tribute to its past albums and giving Andrew a chance to show his ability to adapt to the singers of the past lineups. Adding Sergio and Martin to the lineup shows that “Pantheon” was just the beginning of what those two can add to the band and what they did to these DGD classics is just adding to that resume that they are fit for DGD. As for the core of the band Jon, Matt, and Will, I think they had a blast revisiting these songs as well. It gives off the vibes that any one of these songs can be added to the setlist on any tour and with DGD album twelve on the horizon there is still plenty of energy left in the tank.

Justin: For the first time in a while, I feel genuinely excited and revived in this band. The songs on this album gave me hope for seeing them live again. Not that they have ever lost a step on their live game, but damn I’m very excited now. Honestly, Andrew being the new vocalist makes me truly happy, and damn is he good. He brings it back and makes it a little more aggressive. Jon mess brings his massive sound back, and god damn did the boys playing bring the STANK WITH CHEESE ON IT. If you haven’t been paying attention, they absolutely crushed this album and you should go check it out!