Thrice US Fall Headline Tour – REVIEW

On Thrice’s U.S. Headline tour, they came to the Metro in Chicago. With them came La Dispute, Moving Mountains, and O’Brother. You can check out our review after the break.

Metro is a sacred place for Chicago music. One of the best sounding, most beautiful rooms for live music is just steps away from Wrigley Field and in a lively neighborhood that adds that much more excitement to attending a show there. I was lucky enough to attend a rather intimate show with Thrice, a band capable of playing a much, much larger room with the career they have continued to build upon. Along with Thrice was a rather diverse, yet still fitting undercard consisting of O’Brother, Moving Mountains, and La Dispute.

O’Brother kicked the show off to an almost full room, which is very unusual for the opener at Metro when the headliner isn’t playing until a few hours later. This was no doubt due to the fact that the people attending this show were diehard music fans who were excited to hear new bands on their way up in the music scene. The Atlanta fivesome gave the crowd exactly what they wanted: a heavy rocking set. Singed to the band Manchester Orchestra’s label, Handsome Gentlemen, O’Brother definitely have a tinge of their label owners sound, but pack a heavier punch. The played songs from their first record, as well as their soon to be released follow up, and each song they powered through, the more the crowd began to nod their heads and tap their feet. Be on the look out for this band to make waves in the industry in the coming months.

Following O’Brother was New York’s Moving Mountains. Supporting their recently released full length, Waves, the band kept the energy going throughout their half hour set consisting of ambient, thoughtful post-hardcore, that would swell and burst into full on epic indie rock songs. Singer/guitarist Gregory Dunn’s passionate lyrics are only improved by what is arguably one of the best screams I have ever heard live. Each song contained such raw emotion that it was impossible to take your eyes off the band. This is a band that is so passionate about their music that one must see their live show to truly appreciate.

Next up was Grand Rapids, Michigan’s La Dispute.  Their newest record Wildlife is one of the best punk records to come out of the genre in recent memory. With the time and effort put into such an excellent record, there was no way La Dispute would skimp out on their live show. About half the crowd seemed to be familiar with the band, cheering as they walked on stage and the intro to “a Departure” started to play. As soon as the full band came in together, the most passionate mosh pit formed in the center of the room. A handful of audience members began singing out every word along with lead singer Jordan Dreyer at the top of their lungs, exemplifying the dedicated fanbase following the band. The set featured songs from the newest record, as well as older material from throughout their slew of EP released over the last few years. The band provided the perfect canvas for Dreyer to narrate over and left the crowd in awe by the end of the set. I had no idea how Thrice could continue and build the momentum from the support acts.

After a decently long set change, Thrice took the stage to a crowd that seemed to grow exponentially during the changeover. The audience was near deafening, with arms raised all over the room as the band came out on stage. Starting with the first song of fthe recently released Major/Minor, “Yellow Belly,” Dustin Kensrue’s voice filled the room with an unbelievably catchy, yet heavy guitar part. This being the first time I’ve gone to a Thrice show as more than just a casual listener, I was shocked at how they sounded as great as they do in their recordings. The layout of the modestly sized Metro stage coupled with the great sound made the band seem like they were playing a huge arena, with the audience being up close and personal with the band. It was an indescribable feeling as the band performed songs that spanned their entire career. Highlights of the 18 song set included “All the World Is Mad” and “Hold Fast Hope.” Following the encore, Kensrue left for across the street to play an impromptu 4 song acoustic set in the parking lot of Wrigley Field. The acoustic performance seemed to carry the same energy of quality of the actual show while being only Kensrue and his guitar.

This is definitely a tour that will be remembered thanks to the unbelievable sets by all four bands on the bill. Do yourself a favor and go see any or all of these bands the next chance you get.

Information about the review…
Tour: Thrice US Fall Headline Tour
Bands: Thrice, La Dispute, Moving Mountains, and O’Brother
Reviewer: Neal Manahan
Date: October 29, 2011
Venue: The Metro in Chicago, IL