Dashboard Confessional made an astonishing debut at Number Two on the Billboard 200 Album chart with A Mark – A Mission – A Brand – A Scar selling 122,000 copies in just one week.
Not bad, considering the group had never sold more than 35,000 albums in a week before. The band’s founder Chris Carrabba told Billboard.com, “I don’t think this will affect my relationship with my fans.” He laughingly added, “If they (the fans) didn’t want us to get any bigger than when we were playing coffeehouse shows, they shouldn’t have started bringing their friends.”
The band has always maintained an intimate relationship with their fans not only through their revealing lyrics, but by spending time with fans after every show, something Carrabba says they’ll continue to do no matter how big they get. “We all spend hours at each show meeting as many kids as possible,” he said. “I don’t do it so they’ll feel satiated-it’s because I’m so grateful. So now, even if it’s a little tough and we have to spend a little more time out there and it’s hot or it’s cold, who cares.”
Despite the amazing success of A Mark – A Mission – A Brand – A Scar, Carrabba knows that fame is fleeting and soon enough he could find himself back with his just his old fans on the coffee-house circuit. “They’re (the older fans) aware this is a sort of temporary flirting with popularity,” Carrabba said. “We’ll be old and ugly before you know it. Everything’s a flash in the pan-I just hope it’s really hot for us.”
Dashboard Confessional will appear on Last Call With Carson Daly on Monday night (August 25).