Sometimes there are shows that are scheduled where you look at the line up and you just know for a fact that it’s going to be amazing before you even show up. Well, the Coheed and Cambria, Between The Buried and Me, and Russian Circles was definitely one of these shows.
The day started off great, because we were lucky enough to have scored an interview with Coheed’s new bassist Zach Cooper (if you haven’t had a chance to check that out yet, do so here). He has to be one of the coolest most laid back dudes of all time and I was stoked to see how his new solid bass style would contribute to the band’s live show, which it totally did… more on that later.
We arrived to the venue right in time to see Russian Circles take the stage and I was so pumped to finally be seeing these dudes live that I thought I might try to jump on stage and give everyone in the band a creepy-crush hug. My expectations for Russian Circles live show were already set high after seeing some really great clips of them in concert on the internet, but nothing could have prepared me for the awesomeness that was about to ensue. The band opened up with “Harper Lewis,” one of my favorite songs off the band’s sophomore album Station. Right from the beginning of their set the band was on point, the energy and power that was emanating from three people playing with such passion was awe-inspiring. Also, the minimal lighting and stage set up seemed to add to the soul crushing vibe they were creating. The band tore through just a four song set and by the time they were done I was convinced that the power trio of Brain Cook (bass), Mike Sullivan (guitar), and Dave Turncrantz (drums) was one of the greatest groups of musicians of all time. Who needs a vocalist when you play a set like this. I was so in love after they were done that I even went and bought a t-shirt, which I can’t stop wearing.
Between the Buried and Me now had the unenviable task of trying to follow-up to the destruction that Russian Circles had just unleashed on the crowd. BTBAM and their front man Tommy Giles Rogers did a good job of keeping the energy level up and interacting with the crowd. Everyone in the audience was really enjoying the stylistic chaos that BTBAM have become experts at creating and I for one was thoroughly enjoying their giant sized Lite Brite stage backdrop. I also don’t think I’ve ever seen a pair of guitarists shred it up as much as Paul Waggoner and Dustie Waring did during their set.
Up next was Coheed and Cambria, this was my fifth time seeing the band live and the reason that I keep coming back is because the band is spectacular live. They always seem to put on a really theatrical show and every time it’s like taking a new journey through The Armory Wars story line. The return of former drummer Josh Eppard and the addition of new bassist Cooper I think has really re-invigorated the band both in their recordings with the two new amazing Afterman releases and especially live. Coheed has always been a really passionate live band, but this time around they had the energy and enthusiasm of band touring behind their first album. It probably makes it really easy to get stoked on your live show when you have a rhythm section as skilled and groove oriented as Eppard and Cooper are. Although the two have only been playing together for just under a year, it sounds as if they have been in a band with each other their whole lives. Also, the precision at which 
Travis Stever and Claudio Sanchez pulled off their guitar riffs is impeccable and Sanchez’s voice seemed to sound more solid than ever. The band played a variety of songs off of all their albums with a bit more emphasis on the two new Afterman releases. I was surprised to hear them play “Here We Are Juggernaut,” off of Year of the Black Rainbow, which is personal favorite of mine and was also pleased Coheed chose to play “The Afterman,” one of the softer more melodic cuts from their new group of songs. Overall it was another great show from Coheed and as I mentioned earlier the band consistently puts on great live shows, which keeps me coming back again and again.
Sometimes a show looks a lot better on paper then it does when it actually goes down, but this concert was not the case. The excitement that I felt leading up to this show was for great reason and being as it was my first concert of the year, it was definitely a great way to kick things off. Problem is, now all the rest of the concerts have a lot to live up to.
Editors Note: We had press passes for the show so we were able to get some really good pics click here for more. Also, click here for even more quality videos.