July 17th started out like any other Sunday. I woke up, ate some breakfast and checked my email, and then headed down to the basement to exercise. Halfway through my workout, things took an unexpected turn. I received a phone call from a family friend that my Grandparents’ home had burned down. I hung up the phone and immediately went numb – they’ve been in that house with my Aunt for 27 years. I immediately remembered the day they moved in, the time I skinned my knees on the driveway the first time I tried to ride a bicycle, and my first day of Kindergarten at the school just across the street. I called local family to find out what exactly what was going on, and in the end learned out that everyone was OK. The general consensus was for me to head in to the city as I originally planned, as there was nothing that I would be able to do right then anyway.
I mulled around my home for a few hours, trying to keep calm. My grandfather passed away a couple of months ago, and I kept thinking about how devastated he would have been if he were still around to see this happen. His home office and the decades of history contained within it were destroyed – citations, diplomas, and correspondences showing his business achievements around the world are all gone.
My friend Rob showed up and we made it to the city with just enough time to grab a quick sandwich and make it to the show minutes before Thursday took the stage.
Thursday’s set was a bit short at 9 songs, with over half coming from their latest album, No Devolución. Outside of a few guys in a pit, the crowd seemed rather subdued; much more so than I expected. If anything I’d assume it was because of the newer songs performed; their atmospheric sound interwoven with Geoff’s ethereal vocals feel more appropriate for a pair of headphones and not a stage. Don’t get me wrong – No Devolución is a great album, beautifully displaying Thursday’s continued growth and willingness to experiment with their sound, it just doesn’t feel like an album that lends itself well to live performances.
The high point of the set for me was when they played Jet Black New Year, one of my favorite Thursday songs. I would have like to have heard a few more favorites – In Transmission, Steps Ascending and Friends in the Armed Forces, but even without this was one of the more anticipated and enjoyed live performances I’ve seen quite some time.
Setlist:
- Fast to the End
- For the Workforce, Drowning
- Counting 5-4-3-2-1
- Magnets Caught in the Metal Heart
- Understanding in a Car Crash
- No Answers
- Sparks Against the Sun
- Jet Black New Year
- Turnpike Divides
Taking Back Sunday came on about 20 minutes after Thursday finished their set; leaving just enough time to grab some fresh air and a drink. It hit me, while waiting for my Jack and Coke that I’ve never seen Taking Back Sunday live before. This is especially surprising since they were founded just a handful of blocks from where I grew up. I went to the same high school as their guitarist and founder, Eddie Reyes, and regularly had pizza during lunch at the same place they’d hang around, but never saw them perform on stage.
Their set opened with the first single, El Paso, off of their latest album and the band looked comfortable and sounded great. I had been wondering what the mood would be like, up to the beginning of their performance, given the lineup changes that have taken place over the years but those thoughts disappeared immediately. The background of the stage consisted of a banner with a graphic of a stalking panther in a circle – maybe it was the combination of the heat and alcohol or just my overactive mind, but I immediately found a symbolism of sorts in the graphic – one of coming full circle and unity. Despite the changes and differences that may have occurred over the past handful of years, Taking Back Sunday has returned in form and is ready to make some incredible music.
The majority of the songs performed were from the band’s first and latest releases, both of which feature the band’s debut LP/current lineup. Timberwolves At New Jersey, which I thought was the highlight of the set – it was a perfect nod to the band’s earlier years, and the rhythm section was so much more pronounced live than on the album, something that got the crowd jumping immediately. Afterward, lead singer Adam Lazzara was handed an acoustic guitar and played Straylight Run’s Existentialism on Prom Night mid-set and it felt a bit awkward – a mea culpa of sorts.
Adam made his way towards the back of the venue with a sprained ankle to perform the final songs of the set with fans in the seated section. Cute Without The “E” was the last song of the evening, with the crowd sharing singing duties with Lazzara followed by a rush for the doors and the cool summer air.
Setlist:
- El Paso
- MakeDamnSure
- You Know How I Do
- Liar (It Takes One to Know One)
- Faith (When I Let You Down)
- Bike Scene
- One-Eighty by Summer
- Error: Operator
- You Got Me
- Timberwolves at New Jersey
- Existentialism on Prom Night (Straylight Run cover)
- What’s it Feel Like to Be a Ghost?
- A Decade Under the Influence
- You’re So Last Summer
- This is All Now
- There’s No ‘I’ in Team
- Cute without the ‘E’ (Cut from the Team)
For a little more info on TBS and the Long Island music scene, check out this article from New York Magazine’s website. It’s a bit dated at this point, but still worth a read.
Next and last was a quick trip to BXL, a Belgian bar and former regular lunch spot, just a block away from the venue. A raspberry lambic served by a gorgeous barmaid and a cool city breeze on a clear night was the perfect way to end a bizarre, and unforgettable, Sunday.
