THRICE AT STARLAND BALLROOM IN SAYREVILLE

Fifteen years goes by in the blink of an eye it seems. For fans of Thrice, these past fifteen years have been filled with good times and good jams; the band growing more and more with each album. One thing’s for certain: their 2005 album Vheissu still slaps and still gets a crowd going. The band set out to tour the album in full with support from mewithoutyou, Drug Church, and Holy Fawn. You can always expect a show at Starland Ballroom to be a wild time, and this was certainly no different.

Altogether, this tour package was stacked with amazing acts, each one different, but fitting well together. Holy Fawn and Drug Church were new names for me, but they left a mighty impression. Holy Fawn opened up the show with a very ominous, dark setup. Fake candles flickered on stage and the band had a very atmospheric performance. The sound they produced was so powerful and heavy. I highly recommend getting out to this tour early to catch them.

Drug Church took the stage next and they were quite different in comparison.  They had more of a punk feel to them, and they were quite enjoyable to watch. Vocalist Patrick Kindlon makes some fantastic faces on stage, and he was so entertaining to listen to when bantering with the crowd.

Taking the stage third was mewithoutyou. This one struck an emotional nerve with me because the band announced they would be disbanding after this tour. It was my first time seeing them, and I certainly wouldn’t miss this opportunity to see them if I were you. On stage the band has such a tight live performance, effortlessly playing through, what is apparently, a different set list each night. They will be sorely missed.

Finally, Thrice took the stage. The back of the stage was covered in a bunch of strands with single light bulbs on them, which was aesthetically pleasing to the eye throughout the show. Someone even tried crowd surfing before the first note was even sung, setting up the crowd for what they should expect this night. When the band started with the opening track off of Vheissu, “Image of the Invisible”, Starland Ballroom erupted into shouting and singing. As the band played through the album, the pit stayed open and the crowd surfers came flying over the barricade. After playing through the album, the band also performed some of their “B-Sides” which included “Weight of Glory”, “Lullaby”, and “Flags of Dawn” – a real treat for the die-hard fans.

Thrice never disappoints me with their live performance. Everything from the lights, to the movement, to the sound is always spot on. There’s something about Dustin Kensrue’s voice that give me goose bumps whenever he delivers the heavier sounding vocals during climactic sections of songs such as “Like Moths to Flames” – gritty, powerful, and passionate. If you get the chance to experience this album live, it’s a must see, and with such a wonderful set of openers you couldn’t ask for a better night out.