Thursday / Thrice / Coheed and Cambria

live in Philadelphia (2003)

justin August

I'm going to break this down on a per-band basis, to make it easier on myself, and you.

Coheed and Cambria

First off, I have to admit this. While I have listened to C&C briefly, I am neither an expert on their music, nor extremely familiar with their music. The common complaints about them have never rung true for me, being as that the singer's voice has never bothered me. I was fairly excited about seeing them, most because I'd missed them a few times before and had heard great things about their live show. So upon getting in, and missing the first song or so, I was extremely impressed. The first thing I noticed (besides the incredible hair!), was the incredible music. They are amazing musicians and aren't afraid to be live. In fact, beyond being shoehorned into any single genre, Coheed and Cambria are just a plain good rock band. They are exactly what the mainstream needs right now. Their live show is incredible. It's incredible because it's not ruled by overwrought fake emotion or tough guy antics. It's 4 guys, big hair, screeching guitars, and awesome music. That's all they have, because it's all they need.

Thrice

Third time seeing these guys, and I still don't listen to their CDs much. Their recorded stuff has never grabbed me, but their new disc is growing on me, as is their Apple Store performance. Anyways, on to their performance. It was good, but it wasn't great. As this was the third time seeing them, I do have expectations of their show. The first time, it was in the old Grog Shop in Cleveland, and their sound was too big, and they were trying to be emo-metal way too much. Second time was opening for Alkaline Trio at Club Laga in Pittsburg, which was probably the best of the three shows. The reason why is because their sound just wasn't big enough for the Electric Factory. I don't know if they just weren't feeling it, or if Dustin was feeling off because it was his birthday or what, but I was quite underhwelmed. Never did I feel "crushed" by the drums or guitars, or genuinely shocked by the vocals. The songs were a good mix from The Illusion and The Artist, with a few older gems thrown in. They looked tired, and they sounded tired. It was entertaining, but they definitely came in third as far as performances of the night goes.

Thursday

The boys from the Bruns. Hot off the release of War All The Time, these guys tore into the new songs like animals. Even the keyboard player (has he always been there?) was tearing it up. The set had a perfect mix of songs from their albums, including Jet Black New Year from their oft-derided exit from Victory, the Five Stories Falling EP. They rocked the entire set. They even played This Song Brought to You By a Falling Bomb, which had the audience quiet and motionless. There's honestly not a whole lot to say here. They played everything that you'd expect or want to hear, and they did it well. I wasn't as blown away as I thought I'd be, but it was pretty awesome.

Overall, the night was pretty enjoyable. Catch this tour if it's still going on, and make sure you see Coheed at the beginning of the night. They're definitely the best of the night.