Girl at the Rock Shows

I know I said that this is the year I stop going to see the same bands over and over again. Personally, I think I’ve done a great job thus far. It’s been nearly twenty shows and, the majority of them have been full of bands that I knew nothing about prior to the concert. That being said, Wednesday night’s show was one where I have seen the headliner more times than I can count. Last year alone I saw Thursday five times and vocalist Geoff Rickly do a solo performance at The Fine Line. Sure, it was nothing new which is not in line with what I said my 2024 would be like but Thursday is one of those bands that I can’t resist.

Although I had seen the headliner of Wednesday night’s show a million times before, I had never seen either of the opening acts. I was super excited to see both openers, but especially Many Eyes. Many Eyes is the new project fronted by Keith Buckley of Every Time I Die fame. Every Time I Die has long been one of my “go-to” bands and, like so many other people in the scene, my heart was crushed when they imploded as a band. I was thrilled to see what Keith has been up to lately and experience his talent once again. I didn’t care what form it was in, I just wanted to see him and he definitely didn’t let me down.

Although the crowd was still growing at First Avenue as Many Eyes took the stage promptly at 7 PM, as soon as the band started playing, it was all eyes and ears to the stage. I loved that you still got all of Keith’s signature moves and sounds. There were honestly moments throughout their thirty-minute set where I forgot that I wasn’t watching ETID scattered throughout moments that felt fresh and new. The best part of the Many Eyes set for me was the fact that Keith was clearly loving what he was doing. It has to be hard to essentially start over as a band, but Keith has such a firm grasp of his sound and style that it’s obvious he has landed on his feet with the help of some amazing band members.

The iconic venue finally felt full as New York City group Rival School took the stage. Rival Schools was never my band, but I couldn’t tell you why. Their post-hardcore sound is right up my alley, and this group is a supergroup fronted by Walter Schreifels (of Quicksand) and featuring members of Gorilla Biscuits, CIV, and Youth of Today. Again, all the makings of my favorite band yet Rival Schools have flown under my radar since day one when the band started in 1999. I may not have had a strong connection to this band as they played through their set full of anthemic yet intriguing rock tracks, but many people in the audience clearly did. I loved watching people in the audience screaming along to every word that Walter was singing with such a sense of conviction and passion. It honestly made me a bit jealous that I couldn’t join in, but I was happy just witnessing it all happen.

I really wish I had more to say about Rival Schools as I understand the importance of this band and recognize how lucky I am to have seen them perform live, but their set left a bit to be desired from me. Sure, it was super cool to see these legends performing on stage together and seeing how the crowd responded, but beyond that, their set lacked a powerful energy like the vibe I got from Many Eyes’ set. In Rival Schools’ defense, the opening set from Many Eyes was a much-anticipated set for many other people and me in the audience, meaning it was one I wouldn’t want to follow, but they had to play with the cards they were dealt. Maybe if I knew more about this band’s music, this segment of my post would be completely different, but I’m here to tell the truth, and, truthfully, Rival Schools’ set didn’t do it for me the way I wanted it to.

What did do it for me was the headlining set from Thursday, but that’s no surprise. Thursday is one of those bands that got me into the life I live today. I know that sounds dramatic, but their 2001 album ‘Full Collapse’ came out at a pivotal point in my life, and I genuinely believe that I have Thursday (among other bands from the same era) to thank for my obsession with music. I may have lost count of how many times I’ve seen Thursday perform, but that isn’t going to stop me from going back time and time again. There’s just something about this band and the amount of heart that they bring to a stage. It’s what I need every day of my life but can only get when they come through town, so I never miss it.

Wednesday night’s performance was a celebration of their 2003 album ‘War All the Time.’ Although this album didn’t hit me like ‘Full Collapse’ did when I first listened to it, it has grown on me over time. It’s kind of crazy because, after just a couple of songs, Geoff explained that when they initially toured on this album, he hated it. He woke up depressed, knowing that he would have to play these songs night after night, but now, over twenty years later, it’s an album that he loves playing live. Maybe it’s the maturity of some of the words, but something about this album has been hitting me perfectly these days. It makes me feel things that I never felt the first few times I heard the album. Instead of reverting to ‘Full Collapse’ playing on repeat, I have found myself listening to ‘War All the Time’ on repeat and never skipping a track (which says a lot as I am the definition of music ADD).

The performance of the album, followed by a handful of other tracks to round out the night, was powerful, but, for me, the most powerful moment of the night was when the band left Geoff on the stage to perform “This Song Brought to You by a Falling Bomb.” Geoff kneeled on the stage while the words of the impactful song bled out of his mouth. Again, dramatic, I know, but it was one of those moments that both gave me chills and made me feel things I didn’t expect to feel on my Wednesday night at the same time. After a quick reprieve during “Steps Ascending,” I was plunged back into a world of emotional overload as the band performed “War All the Time” with more heart than I had ever heard them perform with. I didn’t expect to have tears in my eyes twice on Wednesday night, but there I was, trying to choke back the tears.

I said I wouldn’t go see the same bands over and over again this year, and I’m sticking to that, but when a band like Thursday comes through, you go. They are a group that has so much heart and passion that it’s like seeing them for the first time every time. Thursday has been doing this since 1997 yet still have the same fire and passion they did way back when. Dear bands– be more like Thursday.

Line Up:

Many Eyes

Rival Schools

Thursday

Venue: First Avenue

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 37

Crowd Surfers- 4 Counted

Stage Divers- None

Mosh-ability-8 out of 10

Amount of Beer Spilled On Me While Walking Around- 0

Broken Bones- None Noticed

Spotted Flying Through The Air- A Few Bodies

Fights- None Witnessed

Pukers- 0

Passed Out People- 0

Idiots Taken Out By Security – 0

How Irritated I Was With The Audience – 0 out of 10

How Many Times I’ve Seen These Bands Before (or at least how many times I can remember)-

Many Eyes – 0

Rival Schools – 0

Thursday – At least 15

Celebrity Sightings – None

Overall Score – 9.5 out of 10

Show on Deck —Threads Electric / Wish Wash / Night Jobs

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