NEW YORK, NY-A quick ride on the bus, a short walk, some scurrying in the door and there I was at the Roseland Ballroom in NYC-I think quite possibly my favorite venue, by the way-to see what was slated as one of the greatest line-ups in a while. I showed up what I would like to say is fashionably late (although I actually was trying to be on time, but don’t tell anyone) so I missed the Gaslight Anthem and once I got inside Thrice had already begun their set; the crowd was squished all the way up front, there was no getting in there. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised to see so many people there already because most of the time the place tends to stay somewhat empty until it gets closer to the time of the headliner’s performance.
As much as I love Thrice, like really, really love Thrice, I was a little disappointed with their set. They played really well and they put on a great show, but I think they could have had a better set list. Granted, when you only have 40-or-so minutes on stage, its hard to give every fan what they want, and the majority of the crowd seemed more-than-pleased with what they delivered, but for me, someone who’s been a fan since day one, I was hoping for more of an eclectic mixture of Thrice tunes. They pretty much stuck to the new stuff off their latest, The Alchemy Index, with a few oldies here and there, but honestly, with “Deadbolt” being a no-show, the night just didn’t feel complete. Either way, still a kick ass performance from the band and well-worth the trip.
Alkaline Trio was next and I’m sorry, but I’m not really a major fan and so although they also played really well and sounded tight, I just wasn’t able to get into them either. Regardless, as for Thrice, the crowd ate it up, dancing, crowd surfing, singing along; they definitely hit the mark and gave the people what they wanted. I think the only thing that doesn’t sit so well with me is that they’re maybe a little on the poppy side for my taste, but hey, to each his own, right? Good stuff from the Chicago troupe.
Allow me, please, to digress a bit here, just for a minute. In-between sets while hanging at the bar or using the ladies room, I had a bit of an epiphany at Roseland this very evening: It hasn’t been a while since I’ve been to a show, so that can’t be the reason, but somehow, suddenly and seemingly overnight, I became the “old girl” at the show. While this has nothing to do with the music, it really contributed to the overall quality of the evening because, as I was standing at stage left, I thought to myself, “Why is it that I’m off to the sides tonight? Why am I not squished in the middle of the crowd, sweating, yelling at the top of my lungs and jumping around like a flailing idiot?” Well, I don’t want to say I was scared, but rather just entirely uninterested in coming home bruised and banged up and breathing like I just ran a marathon when in fact, all I did was attend a good show in the city. This is all new to me. It felt weird, that’s all.
Back to the show-after I realized that I was old at a mere 24 years of age, I stayed towards the back with the rest of the geezers for Rise Against: Absolutely, 100 percent justifiable that this band headlined. Wow, were they good! In between songs, some may think they were a bit too politically charged, but at a time like this when our country is on the brink of history-in-the-making and musicians have such a profound influence on the generation whose vote is most needed, I think it was entirely appropriate and well-presented. The crowd, for the most part, seemed to agree with fists raised in the air in unison as lead singer Tim showered us all with his thoughts on the subject. Besides talking about politics, though, it seems this group actually plays some music, too! All eyes were on them as they serenaded the crowd with a great mix of songs, old and new, and, granted my wish as they ended the show with two of my personal faves, “Swing Life Away” and “Prayer Of The Refugee.”
All in all a good time was had, plenty of beers were drunk and I walked away with a buzz and a new outlook on life-I’d say the night was a total success!
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