Dream Setlist: AFI Edition

As I said in my reaction to their latest album, Silver Bleeds the Black Sun..., there are few bands that I creatively admire more than AFI — along with their sonic unpredictability in the studio, they're also the type of band to never play the same setlist twice. Whenever they go on tour, each show is a unique experience, with some cities getting a couple surprises in the setlist here and there. AFI has been one of my favorite bands for a long time, and despite my 15 or so years of being a fan of theirs, I have never gotten to see them live. Living in eastern North Carolina all my life, it's been rare for the band to make an appearance within a 2-3 hour radius of my hometown of Jacksonville. Thankfully, that's coming to an end tonight as the band makes their long-awaited return to the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach, SC (their last appearance was in November 2009 in support of their album Crash Love).

While I've gotten used to making these dream setlists to get excited for a big show like this, I always underestimate how difficult it'll be to even create the setlist. I can't imagine what the bands go through when it comes time to figure out what to play, especially for a band like AFI that changes things up a little bit with each show. On top of that, NONE of AFI's albums sound the same, so I'm sure it's even harder to create something that touches on all aspects of their career without having it feel sonically disjointed. However, while I could easily create a handful of dream AFI setlists without repeating any songs, I think what I came up with for this writeup is pretty solid and is sure to appease both old-school and new AFI fans.

1. Trash Bat (The Missing Man EP, 2018)

It's unfortunate that The Missing Man was such a short-lived era in the band's career, because not only were the songs on the EP great, but the shows during the winter 2018 release cycle were just legendary. More on that later, but the EP's opening track gets things started at a fast pace, and it would be awesome to have that opening energy play out on stage right out of the gate.

2. Girl's Not Grey (Sing the Sorrow, 2003)

It felt strange enough not having this hit be the opening song, given that it's been the kickoff track for most of their shows since it was released, so it would just be wrong to leave this out of the beginning of the set altogether. The sooner this one's played, the better.

3. Paper Airplanes (Makeshift Wings) (Sing the Sorrow, 2003)

Sing the Sorrow was AFI's magnum opus from a commercial standpoint, with the album featuring their most accessible sound at the time while still remaining true to their punk roots. While it wasn't a single, "Paper Airplanes (Makeshift Wings)" has become a fan-favorite amongst the band's hardcore fanbase since its release in 2003, and the energy from both the crowd and the band whenever it's played live is on another level.

4. Far Too Near (Bodies, 2021)

AFI's 11th full-length album, Bodies, was an interesting record with several different musical tones, and it's unfortunate that the band wasn't able to tour in support of the album more because of the COVID pandemic. For as short as the album is, there are a few different highlights on it, with this song being one of them.​

5. Still a Stranger (The Blood Album, 2017)

As a longtime Decemberunderground purist, I've come to accept in recent years that 2017's AFI (The Blood Album) may very well be my all-time favorite record from the band — maybe it's because of when it came out in relation to what was happening in my life, but there's just something about this album that always has me wanting to replay it from front to back. There's a reason why it's partially self-titled, and it's because it showcases sonic elements from different eras of their career while still having a modern sound and twist on things, which is probably what I appreciate the most about it. All of that said, "Still a Stranger" was my favorite from the moment I first heard it, and I've heard it always does well in a live setting, so including it here is another no-brainer.

6. Of Greetings and Goodbyes (The Art of Drowning, 2000)

As the last full-blown punk rock release before 2003's Sing the Sorrow, 2000's The Art of Drowning holds a special place in the hearts of many AFI fans, mine included. Everyone has their favorite track from this record, whether it's the hit single "The Days of the Phoenix," the opener "The Lost Souls," or the deep cut "Wester," or the slow and beautiful closing track "Morningstar," and for me, my favorite would have to be "Of Greetings & Goodbyes" — I spent many nights in high school on the marching band bus listening to this album to and from football games and band competitions, and something about this song always stayed stuck in my head, which is saying a lot because of how catchy most of the album is. Long story short, this song's a must for me.

7. The Last Kiss (Black Sails in the Sunset, 1999)

Black Sails in the Sunset is another one of those standout releases for the band, marking the first one with guitarist Jade Puget, who added a whole new layer of musical complexity to the band's work from that point forward. Many fans would likely opt to make their entire setlist out of this album in its entirety, but I feel like "The Last Kiss" is a good track to represent the album in this setlist — while it may not be as in-your-face as some other songs on the album, it still packs a punch musically and lyrically, and there's enough melody in it to involve some crowd participation during the choruses.

8. Salt For Your Wounds (Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes, 1997)

I went with a deep cut that keeps the pace up and gets the pit moving. This rarely-played banger may be the most rage-induced song in the set, and maybe their catalog, that doesn't feature Davey Havok using very harsh vocals, which is something I find interesting. Especially taking this chapter of their career into consideration, I feel like this song is a very unique one and should get more attention.

9. Rewind (Burials, 2013)

After the punk-rock three-piece, it's safe to say that it would be a good time to slow things down just a little bit while still keeping the energy up. Much like The Blood Album, Burials is an album that's high on my top AFI albums list as well. The second half of the album seems to have a more dynamic energy to it, and I can't help but wonder if that was intentional or not. Regardless, "Rewind" was always one that was on heavy repeat for me — vocally, it might be one of my favorite post-Decemberunderground performances from Havok, and the way Puget's ​guitar work fades out at the end always has me turning up the volume and listening until the very end. It's about time that this song made its live debut, and having it at the midpoint of this set feels like a great spot.

10. Darling, I Want To Destroy You (Crash Love, 2009)

I'm very glad that Crash Love has been getting more recognition in recent years, because it has more than its fair share of noteworthy tracks. During the making of this setlist, I was embarrassed at the lack of songs from this album that I made room for, and while I had an incredibly difficult time choosing just one, I felt that a slower and slightly softer track like "Darling, I Want to Destroy You" would ​be necessary because the setlist up to this point has been nothing but fast-paced banger after banger. A break is important, and I think this would be the right point to slow things down before bringing the energy back up for the tail end of the set.

11. Now The World (Sing the Sorrow B-side, 2003)

While the AFI fanbase is divided on a lot of things (which album/eras are better, what "is/isn't" AFI, etc.), but one consensus among us is that the band's B-sides are some of the best songs in their discography — Crash Love had some great demos, and of course, Sing the Sorrow's bonus tracks and B-sides have a fanbase all of their own. It's hard to pick a favorite, but it's foolish to deny the beauty of this song and the multiple sonic and temporal shifts it takes. I was floored to see that it was brought to the stage during the Blood Album touring cycle, and if the live version is even a fraction as epic as the studio version, than this song would be a whole separate experience on its own in a live setting.

12. Synesthesia (Sing the Sorrow B-side, 2003)

Living where I do, I've missed out on more shows and tours over the years than I can count, but nothing could've prepared me for the disappointment I felt after hearing that "Synesthesia" was played live for the first time at the Missing Man EP release show in San Diego, CA and I was on the other side of the country. Of course, a song like this will likely only be reserved for a hometown/home-state crowd, but us on the east coast can dream. Like that San Diego show, playing this right after the high of hearing "Now the World" live is the way to go.

13. Marguerite (Silver Bleeds the Black Sun..., 2025)

AFI's latest album, Silver Bleeds the Black Sun..., was a great new step in their musical experimentation, this time focusing on the sensibilities of their goth and new-wave influences. While the hard-hitting finale "Nooneunderground" is sure to be a fan-favorite and likely on many fans' dream setlists, I'd opt for the moody and upbeat "Marguerite" instead, just to give a little more sonic variety to the set.

14. Pink Eyes (The Blood Album, 2017)

As much as I would love to just hear The Blood Album all the way through, I had to keep it limited and therefore go with a handful of favorites. A song that I felt never got enough credit was "Pink Eyes," and that needs to be changed. Much like "Rewind," Havok's vocals on this song are some of my favorite from the later part of the band's discography, along with the bass performance from Hunter Burgan.

15. He Who Laughs Last... (Very Proud of Ya, 1996)

As the oldest song on this setlist, I had to come correct with something that's equal parts energetic and fan-favorite. With its pace, I can't imagine how easy of a song it is to play live, but one thing's for sure — the crowd will absolutely love it, whether they're longtime old-school fans or newer fans.

16. Miss Murder (Decemberunderground, 2006)

Listen, I agree that this song is overplayed and some of the best AFI setlists have been the ones that omitted "Miss Murder," and it also isn't lost on me that this is the only song from Decemberunderground to appear on this setlist when there are so many different (and arguably better) ones to choose from, but if it wasn't for this song appearing on Guitar Hero 3, I don't know when or if I'd ever hear of AFI. This was the song that turned me into a fan of what's now one of my all-time favorite bands, so it's enough for me as long as I get to hear it live just once.

17. Totalimmortal (All Hallow's EP, 1999)

It might be easy to close with "Miss Murder" since it's one of their most popular songs, but some of my favorite AFI sets, like their performance at the 2006 KROQ Weenie Roast, ​closed with "Totalimmortal," the standout single from their 1999 All Hallow's EP. As an old-school track, and a very demanding one at that, I'm sure this one is difficult to perform, but hopefully the reaction from the audience is gratifying enough to make it feel worthwhile.

At the end of the day, AFI has so many great songs that I'll end up happy with whatever they end up playing when I see them. I can't say enough how excited I am to see this band live for the first time tonight in Myrtle Beach, and I can't wait to see what ends up on the actual setlist.

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