|
|
Thrice, Recover, Brand New
The Fireside Bowl, Chicago, IL
6/18/2002
Reviewer: Andrew
|
The Fireside Bowl has allowed tons of bands to pass through Chicago and play in a very intimate surrounding, while the prices don't get anywhere near outrageous. Tonight, the Bowl held Brand New, Recover, and Thrice, and before running through band's sets, I must say that the atmosphere and bands made for one of the best shows, if not the best show, that I have ever been to.
For this show review, it seems so necessary to attempt to describe the venue, the Fireside Bowl, to help create an image for you all. As you may have guessed by the club's name, it is a bowling alley. Nope, I didn't make a type-o there, it is a fully functionable bowling alley, complete with a lounge area behind the lanes that has barely enough room for a small stage and hundreds of kids. On the opposite end of the stage are the merch areas, which sat beneath a flourescent light or two, and gave us a good clue as to how odd this place is. For the most part, things seem pretty run-down; some ceiling tiles were stained brown and falling through the grid, the floor shows wear and tear, and the lighting is dim and spooky. But it was this mildly scary feel that gives the Fireside Bowl such character, and it was an awesome place for Thrice to rip things up.
I missed most of the first band's set, and I couldn't tell you their name, but I'm pretty sure they were a Chicago band. The vocalist claimed that Thrice was his favorite band, and at times, some influences from older Thrice material were apparent, and the vocalist had the scream/sing thing going on. Their music was upbeat and quite clean, but I can't say much more about them. Shortly after these guys left the stage, Andrew and I slowly advanced through the tightly packed crowd, until we managed to reach the stage in anticipation of a set from Recover.
Of course, lineups were changed for another show, and Brand New took the stage as the next band. They played plenty of tunes from their great full-length, "Your Favorite Weapon," starting with "Last Chance To Lose Your Keys," and also hitting "Jude Law And A Semester Abroad," "Mix Tape," "Sudden Death In Carolina," and once again ending with the classic "Seventy Times Seven." Unlike the last time I saw Brand New, the boys seemed a bit out of it this night, and vocalist Jesse's speaking between songs made him seem like he could just fall asleep at any moment. Still, during the songs, all of the members did some of their bounces off of the walls, and got into the music. The hardships of touring were obviously taking their toll on the band members, but at certain times, it made some of their music and words seem so honest, and the music was so fitting for their apparent feelings. The crowd wasn't as into it as they were in Milwaukee, but there was still some good singing along and head-bobbing, and the set was pretty entertaining.
Up next was Texas-based Recover, who immediately managed to get things moving in the crowd. I felt like I almost broke a leg on the stage as the weight of everyone behind me pushed me forward during "Pardon The Wait," but after a bit of time, I let a nice barrier of people form in front of me and was able to enjoy the music. Having two vocalists is always a good thing for a live show, and Recover was greatly helped out by their dual vocalist attack. As the lead guitarist let out his painful screams, the singer worked the crowd and let plenty of people do some of the strumming for him. Recover also played a bunch of other songs from their full-length "Rodeo And Picasso," including "Elimination, "Rodeo And Picasso," "Sympathetic Sickness," and also included two new tracks, one of which is titled "Bad Timing." The amount of crowd interaction and rock that Recover displayed was awesome, and since the last time I caught their show, they have shown some really nice improvements. Make sure to check out "Rodeo And Picasso," and don't forget about their upcoming EP on Fueled By Ramen Records (July 23rd).
And of course, the next band was the one we were all dying to see, Thrice. This band never ceases to amaze me, especially their incorporation of metal into an otherwise bland style of music. To be honest, their style is something that I haven't heard from anyone else, and there is so much talent to go around in the members of this band. The lead guitarist has some of the quickest fingers I have ever witnessed, the vocals are the epitome of a perfect blend of singing and screaming, the lyrics are amazing, and now I can say that their live show is stunning. It seemed that I was surrounded by huge Thrice fans, because the screaming that I could hear around me was quite loud. Kicking off their set with "Kill Me Quickly," fists flew from the first lyric, and sweat began to flow in serious amounts. Their sound was super-tight, even though their music is terribly complex, and the double-kicks to the bass drum got heads banging as hard as possible. Thrice played a good deal of songs off of their most recent album, "The Illusion Of Safety," all of which sounded oh, so impressive in a live setting, and included "A Subtle Dagger," "To Awake And Avenge The Dead," "A Living Dance Upon Dead Minds," and "Deadbolt." "See You In The Shallows," with its infectious chorus had everyone singing along, while the heaviness of "Betrayal Is A Symptom" inspired tons of movement. Thrice also threw in some older tunes, such as "Identity Crisis," "Phoenix Ignition," and the awesome "As The Ruin Falls," complete with huge breakdown at the end of the tune. Luckily, we also got to hear Thrice's brutal track from the new Hopeless Records compilation, and it was probably the heaviest Thrice song I've heard. In performing their set, the floor was became completely covered in sweat, as did anyone in the crowd, sing-alongs were constant, and the band packed tons of music and fun into their time limit. Thrice is not a band to be missed live, and I must say, I feel lucky to have gotten to see them in a small venue at a mildly early point in their career. I walked out of this show feeling more disgusting than any other time that I can remember, and man, that's how I know I've seen a good show.
|
|
|
