While the music industry struggled throughout 2007 and 2008,
Paramore bucked expectations by sending four singles to the Hot Modern Rock charts and shipping over one million copies of
Riot! Newcomers like
Katy Perry also dominated the radio, but
Paramore was one of the only rock bands to emerge from the woodwork, going platinum during a time in which most artists were happy to go gold. The band also toured extensively, and
The Final Riot! -- a slick, attractive live album that features video and audio footage -- captures one of
Paramore's final performances in support of that album. Given
Hayley Williams' voice and
Zac Farro's powerful, muscled percussion,
Paramore has always been a better live band than the bulk of its competitors, and
The Final Riot! is stronger than similar releases by
Fall Out Boy (
Live in Phoenix) and
Taking Back Sunday (
Louder Now: Part Two). That's not to say it's a perfect recording; the crowd noise is mixed much too low, which is problematic whenever
Williams thrusts the microphone at the audience and invites them to sing along, and her occasional flat notes point to a lack of overdubs. That only serves to make
The Final Riot! more genuine and
Williams more human, though, and the tight set list (featuring the bulk of
Paramore's catalog, as well as a snippet of
Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah") showcases both the band's prowess and the singer's road-seasoned voice. She's fantastic throughout, from her candid comments in the enclosed tour documentary (30 minutes long and well worth the view) to her performance on-stage, where she howls with finesse and pint-sized power. Few vocalists can rival that talent, and watching
Williams lay waste to the crowd is one of
The Final Riot!'s many highlights. ~ Andrew Leahey