My heart is filled with songs of forever.

(November 15, 2009 Pittsburgh, PA - Club Diesel)

I've only been able to say a band is so good live that I'll never miss them when they come through about a few bands. The first band that ever earned that honor from me was Thrice. The first time I saw Thrice was on Brand New's Fall Tour of 2007, and they were very good. Then they came back in the spring of 2008 with Circa Survive as direct support. Circa was my favorite band at the time, but Thrice was much more impressive. Still, on both occasions I was going to see other bands, with Thrice being a secondary interest. This time was different. Though I was familiar with both openers, and enjoy their music quite a bit, tonight was about Thrice.

The show started much earlier than I'm used to, likely because Club Diesel has a very strict band curfew, and I think it worked well in everyone's favor. Thrice has very dedicated fans, and thus the building was packed before the first band, Polar Bear Club, even began playing (although they did start a little late). I was pretty familiar with all of their material and was impressed with the very well mixed set list. Even though there weren't very many of us in attendance, I'm sure anyone who came to the show already a fan was pleased. More importantly though, the significantly larger percentage of attendees who was not familiar seemed rather impressed. Although the band would have been much more appropriate on a punk or hardcore bill, and the crowd's movement was mediocre, they were listening, and when I spoke with the band afterward, they seemed pleased, as was I. This supporting slot, though peculiar, will be good for PBC for as long as the crowds are respectful and open minded to something a little bit different than what they're used to.

set list:
Living Saints
Light of Local Eyes
Parked in the Parking Lot of Your Heart
Boxes
Bug Parade
Burned Out In a Jar
Olde Fisher Burial Ground
Our Ballads

Look, I've seen The Dear Hunter fives times now. They're beyond mind blowing each and every time. If they're in your city, just go. Consistently amazing. In fact, they've only gotten better progressively since I first saw them more than two years ago. I was incredibly happy that they played "1878," one of very few TDH songs that I had yet to see played live, and a personal favorite. Aside from that, just another consistent set. It was pretty clear that they won over a ton of new fans, too. In fact, the audience's collective amazement was audible. Definitely one of the best live acts on a consistent touring circuit. They will be near you within the next year. Make your way to a show and you'll understand.

set list:
Son (a Capella)
Mustard Gas
What It Means to Be Alone
The Church & The Dime
1878
Oracles on the Delphi Express (semi-a Capella)
Red Hands (reworked)
He Said He Had A Story

Thrice is in a similar boat as The Dear Hunter; I knew what I was getting into. As I mentioned before, this was my third time seeing them, and I had very high expectations, which were met quickly. Though the set was plagued with technical difficulties, mostly with lead guitarist Teppei Teranishi's rig, it was still quite enjoyable. It's unfair to compare Thrice to themselves, because this set was ten songs shorter than the last time I saw them headline. The fact is, it was one of the strongest headlining sets I've seen all year. Thrice's music runs the gamut, as far as dynamics go, and their live sets cover all the bases. Songs like "Silhouette" and "Hold Fast Hope" really get a crowd moving, and then "A Song for Milly Michaelson" or "Daedalus" can bring them right back to ground. The reworked full band version of "A Song for Milly Michaelson" was certainly the highlight of the set for me. I wish this is how it appeared on The Alchemy Index. Oh, and if Thrice's new album, Beggars, didn't satisfy you, the songs still hold their own mixed into a set with old favorites. It was unfortunate that the set had to be cut short, due to both the technical difficulties and the terrible venue, but I was quite happy nonetheless. After the set, I spoke with Dustin Kensrue, the band's primary songwriter and vocalist, and he was incredibly nice as well. Thrice creates a complete experience with their live shows. They incorporate excellent visual aspects, pristine sound, and they manage to keep the sets very personal, if only because so many of their songs strike a chord with so many people.

set list:
Of Dust and Nations
Silhouette
All the World Is Mad
The Weight
Helter Skelter (Beatles cover)
In Exile
A Song For Milly Michelson
Hold Fast Hope
The Artist In the Ambulance
The Melting Point of Wax
Daedalus
Like Moths to Flame
The Arsonist
Beggars

encore:
The Earth Will Shake

Thrice did something really cool that's new to me that I feel is worth noting - before their set their stage tech lit several incense sticks, and let them burn on the stage. It really made the atmosphere much more pleasant, something that's very welcome in a sweaty, crowded venue.

Those who talk don't know; still she couldn't help but sing.

(July 7th, 2009 Millvale, PA - Mr. Smalls)

When I first heard mewithoutYou's new album, it's all crazy! it's all false! it's all a dream! it's alright, I can't say I was really very impressed at all. So, when I heard they were going on tour, I wasn't all that excited, but they were bringing The Dear Hunter, one of my favorite live acts, so I was willing. Then I started following mwY a little closer, only to find that this could very well be their last tour, so my mind was made up for me. Even if I don't like it's all crazy that much, I still like the band's previous output quite a bit. So, I managed to find a ride, and now here we are.

The first band that played was Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground, featuring two members of Gatsbys American Dream, but more reminiscent of Sgt. Pepper's band than anything else. On record, the music is almost incomprehensible, only because of its complexities. Until you see it performed, then you get the big picture. In total, Kay Kay consisted of nine different gentlemen, playing a wide range of instruments, including but not limited to, tuba, trumpet, violin, cello, guitar, bass, keys, drums, all headed by frontman Kirk Huffman. There's so much going on, it's kind of hard to grasp it all, but it's mesmerizing nonetheless. While I, and the company I kept, were quite impressed, I did speak to some audience members who were not. I don't think Kay Kay's for everyone, by any means, but I certainly enjoy it.

While I haven't seen The Dear Hunter since I started this blog at the beginning of 2009, I did see them twice in 2007 and once in '08, and every single time, I've been very pleased (otherwise I wouldn't keep going back). This time was, as expected, no different. The set list was great, several songs from Act III: Life & Death, The Dear Hunter's new (and possibly their best) album, were played, and sounded great live. The other four tracks, all from Act II, also sounded good. The highlight of the show was probably the completely reworked version of "Red Hands," the only thing it shares with the version on the album is lyrics, but musically it was at least as good, if not, maybe better. Also, "Oracles on the Delphi Express" was played somewhat a capella, with a banjo even, also very good. The Dear Hunter always has a special treat in store for their fans at their shows. Still, the sound wasn't as good as I would have hoped, and it wasn't my favorite TDH set that I've seen.

set list:
The Church & the Dime
What It Means to Be Alone
Oracles on the Delphi Express
Mustard Gas
Where the Road Parts
Red Hands
He Said He Had a Story

Yeah, I frequent absolutepunk.net. I'm not the biggest poster or anything, but I'm there a lot, I follow the threads I'm interested in. Most of these are contained in the show reviews/set lists section of the forum. What can I say, I'm a sucker for set lists (as you can see by most of my reviews). Well, I'd been tracking the mewithoutYou set lists on this tour, and I wasn't that impressed. A lot of new songs, and not a lot of my favorite old songs. I didn't really know what to expect, but I couldn't have been happier with the set. The band sounded fantastic too, Aaron Weiss, the band's vocalist, seemed to be in a really great mood. His stage presence is unmatched by anyone. I got most of my favorite songs from Catch For Us the Foxes and Brother, Sister, and they sounded great. There were several notable moments when I felt quite blissful. My favorite was either when Aaron changed the lyrics to "Four Word Letter (Pt. Two)" to "Oh pretenders, let's go down, down to the three rivers to pray!" (a nod to Pittsburgh and it's three rivers), or during "O, Porcupine," when, at the part when the song goes "SHHHH!!! .... listen to it!," the band waited for complete silence before coming back in. In a room containing at least 400 people, complete silence is quite an accomplishment, and when it happens, it feels pretty awesome. Also, during several of the new songs, and the second half of the encore, Kay Kay's tuba, trumpet, violin, and cello players came out and played on the songs. Much of it was inaudible, but occassionally a musical phrase shined through and it added a little something extra to the songs. The whole set was much better than I expected it to be, I'm really glad I went.

set list:
Yellow Spider
A Glass Can Only Spill What It Contains
every thought a Thought of You
Tie Me Up! Untie Me!
Carousels
Timothy hay
Orange Spider
Messes of Men
Four Word Letter (Pt. Two)
goodbye, I !
Disaster Tourism
C-Minor
the King Beetle on a Coconut Estate
O' Porcupine
the Fox, the Crow, and the Cookie

encore:
a Stick, a Carrot & String
January 1979
Allah, Allah, Allah
In a Sweater Poorly Knit