Going Out in Style: Thursday’s Farewell Tour Hits New Haven
Thursday Farewell Tour
Toad’s Place, New Haven CT
December 28th 2011
With the release of 2001′s Full Collapse, Thursday changed the course of alternative music. While the scene they helped create may not be remembered in the most favorable light, the band has consistently challenged musical conventions over the past 11 years, and done so with as much sincerity and integrity as any band could.
That is why it is a shame they have never equaled the success of Full Collapse. With each album, the band’s record sales and popularity fell, despite the fact they continued to earn glowing reviews for both their new releases and live shows. In April of 2011 they debuted their fifth proper full length, No Devolucion. It was a radical, “art rock” departure from their earlier work that quickly became one of the year’s best reviewed albums, even if not one of its best selling.
Short openings slots on tours with My Chemical Romance and Taking Back Sunday in front of largely uninterested crowds followed before the band then announced a proper headlining tour. In late November, they proclaimed the tour would be their last, save for a brief run of Australian dates in 2012. The band cited personal issues for calling it quits, but it can be assumed the difficulties of making a living as a band for so many years had taken its toll.
Their final headlining tour would come to a close with a string of East Coast dates during the holidays, with New Haven, CT being the third to last stop. The band had a history of playing at Toad’s, a venerable rock club close to the campus of Yale University. Their final show there would prove to be a memorable one, as both the band and their fans poured all of their energy into one last performance.
The night began with opening sets from Aficionado and Connecticut’s own Make Do and Mend. I was able to catch a number of songs from the latter, and wasn’t terribly impressed until their closing number, “Night’s the Only Time of Day,” which showed quite a bit of potential.
New Brunswick, NJ trio Screaming Females followed, showcasing their bass-heavy brand of garage rock. In addition to playing a very impressive lead guitar, frontwoman Marissa Paternoster is a vocal powerhouse, and her talents help the act stand out from many of their peers. While the band doesn’t have fantastic stage presence, they sounded great, and their set seemed well received by the large crowd that had already gathered.
The main support act was Philadelphia’s MewithoutYou. The band has earned somewhat of a cult following after touring extensively with the likes of Thursday and Brand New in the past, but has never earned the same type of breakout success as those two bands have. They played a nearly 45 minute set that had many in the crowd moving and singing along. They tended to blend at least a few of their songs together, and took only short breaks between others. While I’m not terribly familiar with their work, I would say they sounded much better than they had the one other time I had seen them.
After a nearly 40 minute wait (which is really pushing it at a show with five bands), Thursday took the stage to the tune of
No Develucion’s “Open Quotes.” The crowd immediately surged towards the stage as fists flew through the air. While not one of the band’s better known songs, the intensity the band and the crowd displayed during this number would set the tone for the rest of the night.
Next up was “For the Workforce, Downing”, which is one of the band’s best known songs. The intensity was turned up a few more notches as frontman Geoff Rickly climbed on top of a monitor at the front of the stage, grabbed onto a support beam and leaned as far as he could into the crowd. With no barrier separating the stage from the fans, literally dozens of people made their way on stage during this song alone, forcing the band to take a short break afterward to rearrange all the gear and peddles that had been trampled during the melee.
While Thursday had played 16 songs sets at previous shows, Rickly announced they would be playing longer on this night due to special requests from their road crew, the first of which was “I Am the Killer” from Full Collapse. The band would do a very good job showcasing songs that spanned their career while still featuring six songs from their most recent effort. This was important because this tour would prove to be the only chance they had to play anything from No Develucion as a headlining act.
Throughout the set, the crowd somehow maintained their level of intensity. At times it seemed the only ones getting more of a workout than the fans were the bouncers responsible for corralling crowd surfers as they reached the stage. Even during the set’s more mellow moments, the crowd continued to rage. At one point, Rickly said something along the lines of “We need to play a fast song now because you guys are killing each other during these slow songs.” The band would then launch into “At This Velocity” from 2003′s War All the Time, which was one of the set’s best performances.
For someone who has a reputation for between-song story telling, Rickly’s between song banter was at least somewhat constrained, although he did thank the fans on numerous occasions for sticking with them throughout the years and for their enthusiasm on this night. This enthusiasm would peak during “Cross Out the Eyes,” the song that had helped put the band on the map ten years earlier.
The only full length that Rickly and Co. seemed to ignore was 2008′s “Common Existence”, that is until the schizophrenic ”Resuscitation of a Dead Man” was featured as the last song of the set. After a very short break, the New Brunswick crew made their way back on stage and promised a three song encore, which began with the slowed down “Stay True.” The song was dedicated to the night’s first two opening acts, who Rickly credited with reminding him of “why he got into punk rock in the first place.”
After a nod to the holiday season, the band played the opening notes to
“Jet Black New Year” and the crowd swung back into action. The marathon (once again, considering there were five bands) 20 song set would then conclude with fast-paced closer “Turnpike Divides.”
It was now 12:15, and the sun had officially set on Thursday’s final New Haven show. Their powerful performance reminded everyone in attendance why they had grown to love the band in the first place, and why it would be tough to see them go. While they may have ended up a casualty of a flawed record industry and shifting tastes, those in attendance are likely to remember Thursday as the band that poured their souls into every album and every live show, especially their last one.
Blink 182 Brings Big Tour and New Songs to Harford and Mansfield
Two summers ago, Blink-182 made their triumphant return to stages across the country after what had been a five year hiatus. With support from rock heavyweights such as Weezer, Fall Out Boy, and Taking Back Sunday, the trio packed giant amphitheaters nearly every night, delighting not only long-time fans, but also a legion of younger fans who had discovered the band since their break-up.
When the band announced they would headline the 2011 Honda Civic Tour along side My Chemical Romance, it seemed as thought not much had changed. Not only would they play most of the same venues, the dates and tour routing was strangely similar to their 2009 effort. Also, fans still hadn’t heard any new material from the band since 2003, and there was still no release date set for their long anticipated new record.
I couldn’t help but suspect that Blink was set to become the Dave Mathews Band of pop-punk. Content with touring the same venues every summer and playing the same songs, they would rake in the profits without actually do anything new or exciting. Luckily, as the tour grew closer, things began to change. The band set a September release date for their new album and then debuted studio versions of not one, but two brand new songs. Suddenly the band wasn’t just shaking off the rust, as they had been two years ago. Instead, they set out to prove they still have what it takes to write the monster hits that launched them to stardom in the first place and give their thousands of fans a reason to actually buy music again.
Considering that the Civic Tour would visit just about every worthwhile city in America (and many non-worthwhile cities as well), it was easy to see multiple dates of the tour. I attended the Mansfield, Mass show on Tuesday, August 9th, and the Hartford date the following Sunday.
Each night started with a 30 minute daylight set from Georgia’s Manchester Orchestra. All three of the band’s records 
have earned rave reviews from critics, and the quintet has also seen a surprising amount of radio success over the past two years. Of course, a decent amount of radio success doesn’t mean much when opening for a band as big as Blink, and at the Mansfield show the amphitheater was basically empty.
While the fans might have still been in the parking lot, the band’s performance left no doubt that they can handle such super-sized environments. As lead singer Andy Hull belted out each booming chorus, the rest of the band was spot on, and the presence of two drummers only added to these thundering tracks. At the Hartford show, the rain drove more fans into the pavilion earlier, and it seemed that at least some were familiar with the band, as they received a big applause after each song. Highlights of the set at both shows included “My Friend Marcus” and “The River.”
Next up was My Chemical Romance, a band that did an admirable job conquering the rock radio charts in the time that Blink had been gone. By the time they took the stage, the venue was full at both shows, and it was obvious that nearly everyone was at least somewhat familiar with the band.
Their performance in Mansfield was at first marred by sub-par sound and the remaining sunlight, but as darkness fell and the mixing issues were worked out, the band hit their stride, tearing through their hits while shrouded in smoke and strobe lights. They ended up playing 10 songs in all, and while their Mansfield performance was solid, they were truly on their game five nights later in Hartford. Playing the exact same set, they motivated the crowd in the pit to bounce around to new tracks like “Planetary (GO!)” and inspired giant sing-alongs during hits like “Helena” and “Welcome to the Black Parade.”
The band would close with the epic “Famous Last Words,” leaving recent singles “Na Na Na Na Na” and “Sing” off the set list at both performances. Unlike Blink, the band seemed unconcerned with promoting their new album and instead gave even the most fair weather fan a few tracks to sing along to.
After a half hour wait, Blink-182 took the stage, although not in the grand curtain-dropping fashion they had two years earlier. Instead, the instantly recognizable trio of Mark Hoppus, Tom Delonge and Travis Barker sauntered onstage and kicked things off with “Feelin’ This,” the lead single from their 2003 self-titled album. Barker’s bass drum dominated the track, shaking the entire building during the chorus.
While the Hartford crowd did received a few extra surprises, the set list and crowd reaction to each song was just about
identical for each show. However, being in the pit on both nights, I can say they felt very different. The Mansfield show was the experience you would expect from a performance at such a large venue. The pit there was very small. Only a few hundred pit tickets were available, and the majority of those were sold either as $250 “VIP” packages or $160 “premium” tickets. The vast majority of fans sat in seats or were soaked out on the lawn.
The Hartford venue, meanwhile, features a much larger pit area, and it seemed to welcome more rabid fans who were able to score their tickets at reasonable price. Because of this, the Hartford show felt like it was being played a sweaty rock club, as crowd surfers flew through the air throughout the entire set and everyone sang along.
Regardless of the venue, Blink would mix in four new songs among their set list of hits. The first, “Up All Night,” came directly after “Feeling This” and featured Mark and Tom trading vocals in the lead up to the song’s sweeping chorus. Being the new album’s first single, the majority of the crowd at each show seemed familiar with the track and roared their approval.
The band would then roll through more familiar hits, including “The Rock Show” and “What’s My Age Again.” In Hartford, Delonge would preform the second half of the latter song on his back after taking a tumble in front of the drum kit. Neither Hoppus nor the crowd would let him off the hook afterwards as he complained of the stage being too slippery. Throughout the first part of the set, the stage backdrop took on a Neighborhoods theme in celebration of the band’s upcoming album, as the video screens displayed a bird’s eye view of suburban towns. At one point, the setup mirrored the weather on both nights as digital rain poured down on the houses below.
In between songs Hoppus and Delonge were at their comedic best (or comedic worst, in Tom’s case). Each and every cheesy joke inspired either laughter or head shakes from the crowd, and after one particularly cringe-worthy antidote at the Mansfield show, Tom shouted out “you paid for the talking too!”
While Delonge certainly isn’t known for his superb singing voice, he has improved remarkably since the tour two years ago, and easily carried tracks such as “Violence” and “Dumpweed,” both of which inspired huge reactions from the fans in the pit. Tom also got in touch with his artistic side, performing Blink classic “Blowjob” at both shows and calling it one of the band’s greatest musical accomplishments. The Hartford crowd had the rare opportunity of hearing other similar tracks played live, including “Happy Holidays You Bastard,” which followed a brief Hoppus vs. Delonge on-stage volleyball match that bought Barker more time to clean up what was apparently an injured finger.
The crowd ate up just about everything Blink threw at them, including the three additional new songs. “Hearts All Gone,” 
which stands as one of the fastest songs the band has written in many years even inspired a huge circle pit on the floor. After approximately an hour and ten minutes, the band would close the set with “Josie.” At the Mansfield show, Hoppus would announce, “Travis can’t do the drum thing because of the rain but he still wants to show off for you,” which led to a ten minute solo performance by the drummer.
In Hartford, a black screen fell across the stage and when it was removed, Barker was strapped to the end of a giant mechanical arm from which he would then perform the solo. The giant arm gyrated around the stage and even tilted so that at one point barker was staring straight down at the crowd below.
Once Barker returned to the ground, he was joined again by Hoppus and Delounge for a three song encore that began with “Carousel” and then moved on to “Dammit,” which of course inspired the biggest reaction and sing-along of the night. Instead of walking straight off stage, the trio would stick around to play a small part of “Family Reunion,” and then take their bows.
All in all, both shows had been nothing short of a spectacle. The lasers, the rotating video screens that made up the backdrop, and of course the huge sound made these shows different and more spectacular than anything I would normally see. Mix in some very solid new songs and a pair of great openers and you have a very memorable tour that will be hard for the band to match in the future. But with a new album coming out and a willingness to change it up, at least we can take comfort in the fact they they’re going to try.
The Bouncing Souls “For All the Unheard” Nights 3 and 4
As the last notes of the set faded and the crowd began to file out into another rainy June night, the sense of ecstasy that had been so prevalent at the conclusion of the past three nights was noticeably absent. It wasn’t because fans were disappointed with the Bouncing Souls’ performance in the last installment of their four night residency at the Middle East in Cambridge MA. The band had just turned in another memorable effort, performing their two most recent albums in their entirety, along with a handful of b-sides.
So why the lack of enthusiasm from the exiting crowd? One reason could be the fact that nearly everyone in attendance was exhausted. After four straight nights of late set times, intense heat, and (most importantly) epic performances, this would be expected. The more pertinent reason fans seemed somewhat down was the fact that it was over. After four straight nights of (basically) hanging out with one of punk’s all-time great bands, there would be no fifth night. While the Bouncing Souls were sure to return to Boston, they would probably never do it in such an extravagant way, for so many nights in a row, or at such an intimate venue. The second half of the stand had been even more memorable than the first and showcased how far the band has come over the past 22 years.
Night three: June 24rd 2011: How I Spent My Summer Vacation and Anchors Aweigh
The third night of the series would not only be a treat for fans, it would also be a test. How I Spent My Summer Vacation is regarded by many to be the Bouncing Souls best work, guaranteeing a very enthusiastic crowd. It would then be followed by their longest record, the 16 song, 48 minute Anchors Aweigh.
While the Bouncing Souls had chosen a great lineup of opening acts for the other three nights, it was the lineup at this show that stood out. First up was Dave Hause of the Loved Ones performing a solo set. Hause released an acoustic record earlier this year, and while I had listened to it briefly, I failed to realize just how good it was.
Hause’s performance was the rare opening set that completely absorbed everyone in the audience. Instead of chatter and side conversations, all eyes and ears were fixed on the stage, and Hause received quite the applause at the conclusion of each track. He kept the crowd engaged with between song banter, relaying a story about his nine hour, $4 bus ride from Philadelphia and then at one point calling out a heckler in the front row. While it was a great 30 minutes of music, it wouldn’t be Hause’s only appearance on stage that night.
The next act was Brooklyn cult favorites World/Inferno Friendship Society. The band was making their second appearance in Boston in little over a month after a rousing headlining show at the Paradise in May. Not the type of band to normally share the spotlight, they were forced to cut at least a few staples from their set. This didn’t mean that they cut down on the theatrics, however, as lead singer Jack Terricloth and Co. fed off the energy of the diehard fans in attendance.
Earlier in the night, Terricloth had joined Hause to play harmonica during one his tracks, and Hause repayed the favor, joining the band on stage as guitarist for two songs. Throughout the 45 minute set, it seemed like about half the crowd was completely into it, while the other half was somewhat weirded out by the whole spectacle. The band played a number of songs from the recently released “The Anarchy and the Ecstasy,” which were once again very impressive live, especially “Canonize Philip K. Dick, OK?” After Terricloth had exhausted his between song antics, the band closed with “The Models and the Mannequins.” This came as a relief to at least some members of the crowd.
After another short break and “welcome to the main event” style introduction, the Bouncing Souls took the stage for to the tune of “That Song.” The energy that had built up throughout the night exploded into a sea of fists and crowd surfers as nearly everyone in the room sang along. With each track from “How I Spent My Summer Vacation” being a finely crafted burst of punk energy and aggression, the intensity level never really died down until the final notes of “Gone” had been played.
While the crowd was obviously enjoying the show, this unbridled joy could also be seen on the stage. Hause joined the band for a number of songs, and sported a huge smile when he wasn’t singing along with the crowd. When I ran into him at Dunkin Donuts the next morning (name drop?), he wouldn’t commit to it being the highlight of his life, but he did say it was “pretty cool.”
After finishing the 13 tracks that made up the first half of the set, things began to get sticky. The temperature had risen at least 30 degrees, and now the band was set to play their longest album, Anchors Aweigh. While the album does have its moments, it doesn’t feature the same type of upbeat energy that is standard on most of the band’s other albums. Being the product of a rough spot in the band’s history, it is darker and more introspective, and made for a rollercoaster of a live set.
This portion of the set got off to a very quick start with opener “Apartment 5F” and “Kids and Heroes,” and it seemed like both the crowd and the band were determined to maintain the furious pace they had set earlier. I had never heard the band play “Kids and Heroes” live, which is surprising considering it is one of the highlights of their entire catalog. It seems written to inspire huge sign-alongs at sweaty punk shows, and that is exactly what it did.
Other songs throughout the set inspired the same type of reaction, but most of them came from the first half of the album. After that point, the reality of the heat and the length of the show began set in, and the enthusiasm level fell quickly. All the while, the band refused to wilt, powering through each song unaffected by the conditions. They closed the set on a quiet note with the acoustic hidden track “Fall Song.”
Night Four: June 25th 2011, The Gold Record and Ghosts on the Boardwalk
The fourth and final night of the series would turn out to be different from the first three in a number of ways. First off, it wasn’t raining. This was a big plus for many fans, especially for those who showed up at the same time, because the band had insisted that all four shows be “will call only,” to eliminate scalping.
This meant that instead of distributing physical tickets, fans had their names added to a list that was kept at the door to 
the venue. As fans arrived, they had to show their ID to gain entrance. While I showed up early each night and never had to wait in a long line to get in, many fans entered the show drenched, which is never a good way to start your night.
Another difference from nights 1-3 was the fact that somehow, this show was not sold out. While I’ll admit that most fans wouldn’t consider either of the night’s albums their absolute favorite Bouncing Souls record, I must say that I would take the combination of these two albums over any other night’s lineup.
Another factor in the non-sell out may have been the openers. Neither Iron Chic or Make Do and Mend brought the same type of recognition or fan bases that at least one band had during the previous three shows. However, that isn’t to say they both weren’t solid acts. Iron Chic’s thirty minute set of throwback punk with gruff vocals was very impressive, and I ended up buying their latest full length. Make Do and Mend also played a strong set, although their songs began to blend together seeing as I wasn’t familiar with any of their material.
The Bouncing Souls entered to the now familiar boxing match theme for the final time, and got started with 2006’s Gold Record opener “The Gold Song.” While this is a fast-paced track to begin with, the band seemed to play it twice as fast, challenging the crowd to keep up with the chorus of “heys!” “The Pizza Song” featured a number of guest musicians, including accordion and trumpet players, and sounded nearly as good as the recorded version. “Better Things” was a highlight of the set, as was the fan favorite and live show staple “Lean on Sheena.”
The politically-charged “Letter from Iraq” is one of my favorite Bouncing Souls songs, and I was thrilled to finally hear it played live. The only unfortunate part about the track was the fact that its “bring the troops home” message is just as relevant and pressing today as it was when the Gold Record was released five years ago.
In addition to being a great collection of songs like “Letter from Iraq,” The Gold Record stands out because of its sequencing. From beginning to end, every track seems perfectly placed, with each one nicely transitioning to the next. This was very apparent at the end of the set, as “Midnight Mile” and “For All the Unheard” acted as a tremendous closing pair. While these aren’t the type of songs that inspire a huge amount of crowd interaction, it was obvious everyone was enjoying every second.
Next up was the band’s latest album, Ghosts on the Boardwalk. Released as a series of single tracks each month throughout 2009, the album isn’t nearly as cohesive as The Gold Record. Of course, this had little to no effect on the live set, which began with “Gasoline” and “Never Say Die.” The crowd had caught their breath towards the end of The Gold Record, and they were now ready to give it their all.
At one point in the show, a brave stage diver realized that the Middle East security crew that had kicked out scores of fans over the first three nights, suddenly seemed uninterested in enforcing the venue’s strict policies. They had most likely been told by the band to “chill out,” and because of it, there were bodies flying through the air for the rest of the night.
The band’s performance of “Badass” was the most memorable song of the set, as cue cards appeared on stage to help the band remember all the “badass” things called out over the song’s two minutes and 38 seconds. The band then brought their eighth and final full-album set to a close with two of the record’s stronger and more melodic tracks, “We All Sing Along” and “Like the Sun.”
Despite the fact they had just played two albums that both clocked in at over forty minutes in length, the band would continue with a series of b-sides and rare tracks. I’ll admit that I’m not very familiar with their material outside of their full lengths, and it seemed like about half the crowd was in the same boat. However, this didn’t stop anyone from continuing the moshing and stage diving, and at least a few diehard fans got quite a treat in hearing these songs.
I do know they closed with “Wayfarer,” a Hot Water Music cover the band put out on a split 7 inch earlier in the year. The set ended on a high note, but you could feel a sense of instant nostalgia among the fans filing out of the venue.
The “Four All the Unheard” four night series had not only showcased how far the band had come over their 22 years, but it was also a testament to how much of their success they owe to their fans. If you’ve ever been a diehard fan of a certain band, you probably know what it’s like for them to not play your favorite forgotten track. The Bouncing Souls gave diehard fans exactly what they had been hoping for, which was the chance to hear that song. There were no real surprises, just a collection of great music and a band further strengthening the bond they have with their supporters.
