Post-hardcore New York was alive and well in Dallas, Texas Wednesday night as genre fore-bearer’s Quicksand and Glassjaw came to town as part of their 20-date summer tour. Perhaps a testament to each bands legacy, it was a well-balanced mix of young and less-young in attendance. Co-mingling before the music began, the crowd ambled between the bar and merch tables in anticipation of the nights festivities.
Quicksand went on around 8:30 pm. The band played songs across each of their three full-length albums, from their breakout 1993 album Slip to last years Interiors. Not surprisingly, “Fazer,” “Head to Wall,” “Dine Alone,” and others from Slip got the biggest sing-alongs from the crowd; however, the new material from Interiors (“Cosmonauts,” “Illuminant,” “Under the Screw”) were warmly received – even if the crowd hadn’t previously committed the lyrics to memory. Alan Cage’s drumming was exceptionally tight. Often overshadowed by the rest of the band, Cage takes a minimal approach that remains dynamic and intense. Needless to say, bassist Sergio Vega remains the backbone of the band with his thick tractor-pull bass lines filling out the sound of the band, completely making up for the absence of former guitarist Tom Capone. Vocalist and guitarist Walter Schreifels led the band through their set with a permanent smile on his face. Indeed, each member of the band was visibly relishing every moment of every song, and most importantly, the love they received from the crowd.
Going on shortly after 10:00 pm, Glassjaw took the stage to an uproarious applause from the crowd. Charging through 18 songs from their three albums (Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Silence, Worship and Tribute, and 2017’s Material Control) and the Our Color Green singles EP, the band was in fine form, performing like a tightly wound unit hell-bent on giving every single person their money’s worth. Though I expected the room to fill up a bit more throughout the night, there wasn’t much of a change once the band took the stage. I’m confident that would’ve been a lot different if it weren’t on a Wednesday. Opening with “Cut and Run,” they were finally here! The masses were boogieing in no time as Glassjaw pumped out the hits and more yummy, recent material. I’m relieved I had enough self-control to keep myself from singing along in the photo pit. I was a bit disappointed when I couldn’t find any merch (I did grab a sticker from locals On Better Term, though). Not surprisingly, “Siberian Kiss” led the way out of Glassjaw’s set, followed by an encore of “Stuck Pig” from the 2002 album Worship and Tribute! This rattling track proves some of what vocalist Daryl Palumbo is capable of (not that there was ever any doubt in that). Unfortunate for them, a small chunk of the crowd ended up heading out before this encore. The ones who stuck around were treated to something surreal. I even heard someone say “Now, I can truly die happy!”
– DeLisa McMurray & J. Kevin Lynch
– click to enlarge photos –
