Punknews.orgPunknews.org Logo
Review Navigator

BackForward

Features

 

Contests

 


Reviews



This show was basically one surprise after the other.

When I walked in, local act Verse was already in the middle of their set. I'd already seen the semi-melodic hardcore outfit play at the All About Records Fest last month and wasn't thrilled then, so I didn't expect much there. Maybe it was the acoustics of the venue or something, but they actually sounded really good, inexplicably together, and definitely energized.

Soon after, Moments in Grace took the stage to bore me for the next twenty-five minutes. Previous to this, I had heard the Brian McTernan-produced EP from the band and wasn't impressed by meandering, boring emo rock. Although their performance here was a little better, it was still far from wholly good or original.

Now, I still haven't heard a single song outside of a live set by them, but after seeing them for the second time, I can certify one thing: Vaux fucking rip. The band was incredibly energetic, and the singer stormed the stage in all directions, getting the crowd up and moving. The spotlights created this ironic arena rock feel while the band's crowd interaction was still there, and the fog machine smogging the general area. The only song titles I caught were "Do It For Sixty" and "Shot in the Back," the last two off their only full-length.

Poison the Well had never done anything for me. At all. The only previous debt of gratitude I ever owed them was that the first time I saw them live was the same day I discovered Rise Against. It was just one white ball of noise, nothing more then...but last night, they actually weren't bad. Even though the growling seems a bit forced, the double-bass is cool and the set flowed well. I actually heard the melody in the music and things were set up well for the headliners.

Explaining just how Thrice played is difficult. Their chosen set list was the most fucked up order and choice I've seen a band choose, and not in a "well, at least they're not doing things people expect them to do" way. Instead of choosing a typical fast song to open things up ("Kill Me Quickly", anyone?), they started with "Silhouette." Well, okay, I guess it's a good midtempo rock tune to start out with; when they followed up with "Under a Killing Moon," it made a little more sense. They then moved to two songs off Illusion of Safety, "Kill Me Quickly" and what I remember as "Betrayal is a Symptom." A few people in the crowd nearly shit themselves when "Phoenix Ignition" was played next, with Dustin standing near the barricade leading the chant of the bridge. Unfortunately, that was the only song they played off Identity Crisis - which, frankly, is unadulterated horseshit. I know bands have hangups with playing old songs, but please...plus, it disappointed me a bit when Dustin said "that's probably one of the last times we play that." One song they played I'd never heard before, and Dustin was mumbling too incomprehensibly beforewards for me to find out what it was. It had growling verses and a melodic chorus, and a lyric along the lines of "we make these weapons" that sounded fairly political. They also played "Hideous Strength," their older Hopeless comp contribution, with Teppei's solo right on. Although they blatantly fucked up a few times during the set (notably the bridge of "Deadbolt" and the bridge-to-breakdown transition of "See You in the Shallows") it was the tightest I've seen them out of three times (please hold all obvious jokes until the end). "Stare at the Sun" got the reaction I expected it would. Their fake closer was "Cold Cash and Colder Hearts," and they came back out to play "Don't Tell and We Won't Ask" and officially closed with "To Awake and Avenge the Dead" as Dustin's voice started to go hoarse. The encore was strangely surprising considering they ended up letting their set sit void of "All That's Left" (good song, but I'm not complaining).



People who liked this also liked:
Elder - Elder [10 inch]Tides / Giant - SplitFoals - AntidotesAntlers - AntlersTransit - This Will Not Define UsTorche - MeanderthalYears from Now - Enough AlreadyAn Horse - Not Really ScaredVelveteen - Home WatersCarpenter - Law of the Land



Please login or register to post comments.
What are the benefits of having a Punknews.org account?
  • Share your opinion by posting comments on the stories that interest you
  • Rate music and bands and help shape the weekly top ten
  • Let Punknews.org use your ratings to help you find bands and albums you might like
  • Customize features on the site to get the news the way you want.

    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, November 24, 2005 at 9:08 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    sing with me http://www.los-angeles-casino.com/lanir/casino-directory-2005.htm l

    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, May 13, 2004 at 4:49 AM (EDT)
    My Score:

    to the person who wrote the review, the song that u didnt know about "weapons" is a B'Side called Eclipse. and it rules. =)

    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, April 8, 2004 at 7:28 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    "Poison the well is watered down pmfs." what is pmfs?

    Posted by inagreendase on 2004-04-01 19:39:37
    My Score:

    50rrY 1 d0N't bR1nG t3H m05h, d00d

    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, April 1, 2004 at 1:46 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    I saw thrice in ft. Lauderdale it was honestly one of the best shows ive seen in the last couple of years again whoever does the criticism for this website is a fuckin donkey who has know taste in good music. I was in the pit the whole time. Theres not many bands that i would be in the pit the whole show for.

    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, April 1, 2004 at 12:30 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    you thought the show was over? you're an idiot.

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, March 31, 2004 at 4:35 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    I saw this show last night in Houston and Thrice owned, this was my 4th time seeing them.

    This was definitely the longest and best set I have seen them play. This is their set from what I can remember:

    Under a Killing Moon
    Stare at the Sun
    Kill Me Quickly
    Betrayal is a Symptom
    Phoenix Ignition
    Artist in the Ambulance
    Where Idols Once Stood
    Silhouette
    Deadbolt
    Old Song from their first EP
    A Subtle Dagger
    See You In The Shallows
    Cold Cash and Colder Hearts
    Motion Isn't Meaning
    Encore:
    I don't know what they played, I thought the show was over.

    Posted by theevilmonkey on 2004-03-29 18:35:07
    My Score:

    I like how the same guy posted twice about how much he hated this review and tried to make it seem as if he were two people. Good for you.

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 29, 2004 at 3:04 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Caught the Thrice tour in Ft. Lauderdale. And, maybe there's a little hometown bias here, but PTW ripped it up on this date. Someone above complained about no "Nerdy" .. well, not here. Last song they played and The Factory (good, small venue) Exploded! I honestly wasn't a big PTW fan before, either -- but damn did they rock out.

    Thrice tore it up as well. I thought it was strange not having them play "All That's Left", but their set balanced it pretty well. "Under A Killing Moon" sped up, and after a few chants of "Deadbolt", it was On. Dustin and Teppei hung out after the show at the edge of the stage and talked w/fans, while the brothers chilled at sidestage, and rolled bottles of water to us sweaty pigs.

    Great show. Worth my 14 bucks. It's too bad Thrice is gonna open for Dashboard on that Civic tour ... I'm sure they'll water their set down a bit as well.

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 29, 2004 at 2:47 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    i have seen thrice more than once... but i have yet to see them snap as hard as they should playing the music they do. i guess their passion is only paper thick.

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 29, 2004 at 11:55 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    this just might be the worst review I've ever seen on this site..... moments in grace is one of those bands that will be over everybody's head until people start to notice how good that shit is......oh yeah planes mistaken for stars rips all these bands apart you moron

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 29, 2004 at 12:37 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    this might just be the worst review I have ever seen on this site... i saw this same tour stop in Orlando also..... moments in grace blows away any shit you fucking dimwits might enjoy - it's possibly just over your heads right now. oh yeah, darkest hour and poison the well suck too.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, March 28, 2004 at 2:18 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    "if you go see thrice and expect to hear that, you are a fucking moron"

    they played a torch to end all torches in both rochester and cleveland on the thursday tour. you my friend, are a fucking dimwit. at least try and get your shit straight.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, March 28, 2004 at 1:54 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Haha Poison the Well is a watered down PMFS????? They sound NOTHING alike you idiot. Speaking of Planes Mistaken for Stars how did they get all popular all of a sudden??

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, March 28, 2004 at 11:04 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    As much as it sucks, Thrice stopped playing Identity Crisis-era songs a long time ago. I saw them two years ago (which was prior to TAITA) and the only songs off the album they played were Pheonix Ignition and Identity Crisis. They opened the set with them and that was it.
    But come on...We know the song we all really want to hear is T&C...

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, March 28, 2004 at 2:39 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    poision the well puts on a good show no matter who they play with they can play with britney spears and they would still be awesome i maight lose all my respect for them but hey whatever
    brandie

    Posted by devildog1507 on 2004-03-28 02:23:52
    My Score:

    All 3 bands suck.....

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, March 27, 2004 at 8:06 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    of course they don't want to play phoenix iginition...they've played that song to death. don't you think they'd be sick of it?

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, March 27, 2004 at 5:47 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    that first space should say WASTE

    w00t

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, March 27, 2004 at 5:46 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    If you think Thrice are a bunch of pretensious assholes you're a fucking mongoloid space of space/food/air and you need to immediately commit suicide.

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, March 27, 2004 at 5:46 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Damien Rice is just a watered-down Refused! How can that guy get away with such blatant plagarism?

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, March 27, 2004 at 10:42 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    The Thrice song you don't know the name to is 'Motion Isn't Meaning'... it was released on the All That's Left CDS. Reall one of the better songs from the TAITA sessions.

    Posted by FortyMinutesWest on 2004-03-27 02:43:19
    My Score:

    "Poison the Well is watered down PMFS"

    Have you ever listened to either band?

    Posted by TJmoney on 2004-03-27 01:19:15
    My Score:

    I just got back from this show tonight...Thrice was so fuckin rad they played "Phoenix Ignition" here in Orlando too!! Poison the Well wasnt horrible here but they were so much better at warped tour...at least they played "Artists Rendering of Me" but dammit no "Nerdy." Darkest Hour was crazy and Moments in Grace have some potential.

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, March 27, 2004 at 12:56 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    "Damn that comment makes me wanna go listen to OK Computer, bye

    -bemused-"

    Someone finally sees the light.
    -Thom Yorke.

    Posted by bryne on 2004-03-27 00:40:58
    My Score:

    I saw this show tonight, except Darkest Hour was in place of Vaux, and I thought it fucking ripped.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 26, 2004 at 10:27 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    "Poison the Well is watered down PMFS."

    haha. what? that's just a dumb statement.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 26, 2004 at 10:08 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Damn that comment makes me wanna go listen to OK Computer, bye

    -bemused-

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 26, 2004 at 9:48 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    they were awesome when i saw em in jersey. vaux got repetitive, i never really got into poison the well, but i didn't think moments in grace was THAT bad. i liked that they opened with silhoette, thats a great song

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 26, 2004 at 9:43 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    That's such a gay trendy thing to do. "We refuse to play the song that introduced the world to our band."

    See also, Radiohead.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 26, 2004 at 9:06 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    why don't they play all thats left? Its not their best song, but its not horrible or anything. Anybody know why this is?

    Barkley

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 26, 2004 at 8:25 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    "Only one song from Identity Crisis is pathetic......I'd be so mad if I saw them and they didn't play "A Torch to end all torches."

    if you go see thrice and expect to hear that, you are a fucking moron

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 26, 2004 at 7:42 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    thrice never plays all that's left. never.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 26, 2004 at 6:24 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Of course Vaux rips.

    Minor Threat

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 26, 2004 at 5:24 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Only one song from Identity Crisis is pathetic......I'd be so mad if I saw them and they didn't play "A Torch to end all torches."

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 26, 2004 at 5:24 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Identity Crisis was their best album, they need to realize that.

    - Kirby

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 26, 2004 at 5:15 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    I saw it in albany as well. It's official, moments in grace suck more ass than something that sucks a lot of ass. I don't understand all this Poison the Well hating, they were quite awesome live. Thrice was better than I expected.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 26, 2004 at 4:37 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    i saw this show in albany. it was ok. thankfully vaux didnt make it cause of snow, so we didnt have to sit through two opening bands that no one knows. i don't throw out opening bands just because they are openers, ive actually been very impressed with some opening bands recently, but moments in grace were downright boring. it was like they knew no one cared that they were playing and didnt bother trying to impress anyone. poison the well was decent, pretty energetic and fun. thrice, as much i love thier music, was a little disapointing. just seems like they could have put more into it. stll good to see them though.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 26, 2004 at 4:23 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    good review. i have heard a few vaux songs and they are good, but the songs are repetitive.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 26, 2004 at 3:59 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    I saw this show in Boston, MA.

    Moments in Grace were ok.

    Vaux fucking suck. How can you like that band? EVERY song sounds exactly the same, and the singer can't even scream.

    Poison the Well is watered down PMFS.

    Thrice always does a good job playing stuff from a few albums, but I agree that the order was weird.

    Posted by poopypants on 2004-03-26 15:59:07
    My Score:

    i'm not much for thrice live, they seem like a bunch of pretentious assholes. yea all they ever play is phoenix ignition off that album, sometimes identity crisis. no 'all thats left' is bullshit, single or not i thought that was one of the better songs off that album.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 26, 2004 at 3:47 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Denali playing with Poison the Well back in November? Do you like Maura?

    Davis, Maura J
    2005 Floyd Ave
    Richmond, VA 23220-4529
    (804) 353-8883