Amongst all of the incredible winter tours that are happening, this one definitely stands out. Iconic rock band, Thrice is celebrating fifteen years of their fourth album Vheissu, and they planned to play the whole album in its entirety on this tour. As if that wasn’t already a convincing enough selling point, they brought along with them an absolutely stacked lineup of opening bands: Holy Fawn, Drug Church and mewithoutYou. If you’re planning on attending this show, I highly recommend showing up early to watch all of the bands. There was not a dull moment from the moment that the house lights went down at seven o’clock.
Opening up the show were the very unique post-rockers from Arizona, Holy Fawn. Their stage design was so cool and probably the most interesting that I’ve seen from an opening band. This added aesthetic made their atmospheric metalcore riffs and shoegaze-y sounds that much more intriguing. Although their set was tragically short, they still put on a highly entertaining set. I hope to see this band on more high-profile tours. Their unique sound could land them on just about any sort of rock, post-rock, metalcore, or post-hardcore gig.
Next up to the stage, a band that is beloved by the Dallas local scene: Drug Church. This is a band that you can’t put into a box. They’ve got a pop infused heavy sound that is extremely unique. They put off punk-rock vibes without having that traditional punk sound, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing! They are unapologetically themselves. Needless to say, their set had my undivided attention. Frontman, Patrick Kindlon has the most sincere stage presence. You can tell he enjoys the hell out of himself the entire time he’s on stage with his band.
Once again as the lights dimmed and the house music cut off. Cheers echoed from the crowd. The massively loved experimental rock band from Philly, mewithoutYou made their way to the darkened stage. Just like the bands that were on prior to them, mewithoutYou is a very unique band. They played through songs spanning most of their albums from Brother, Sister to their latest album [Untitled]. Although they were a bit more tame than the preceding band, they were still lively and entertaining to watch.
For the final time, the house lights dimmed and a thunderous roar erupted from the crowd. Quite honestly, it was the loudest cheering I’ve heard in a long time coming from the House of Blues music hall. Die hard fans and casual listeners alike were filled with excitement as the opening chords of “Image of the Invisible” rang out. Thrice’s plan of attack for the night was to play Vheissu from front to back. Not only did Thrice sound amazing, but their light show was also phenomenal. After the final track of Vheissu wrapped up, they treated the audience to playing the B-sides of the album too! Thrice played so well they left people wanting more. Their set is definitely one of the most impressive performances that I have seen live. There’s really not much more I could ask for in a touring package. You sure don’t want to miss this line-up if they’re rolling through your town!
– Lauren Frederick
