Written by Killian O’Neil
Have you ever been to a show that blew your mind? Not for the fact that it was your favorite band, but because each and every musician that played was simply incredible. It’s a rarity finding that, especially these days. Luckily the music gods blessed me with this last week.
Tucked away on 1200 Callowhill Street is Underground Arts, one of Philadelphia’s hidden gems, as far as venues go. Personally, it’s one of my favorite venues due to the fact that it has such an intimate and cozy setting. If you haven’t been there, let me paint you a picture. Imagine a huge unfinished basement with two rooms both equipped with a bar and one has a stage. The other has booths and chairs with a projector (to watch the show). Originally. I was slightly timid on the idea of standing so close to another human being, seeing as it’s wild times out here with COVID and all, but I decided to take a chance. When else would I be able to see Thursday and Cursive at such an intimate setting along with The Appleseed Cast and Nate Bergman? Answer. Never again.
This tour is special because Thursday originally had to postpone the first leg of the tour because of COVID. Instead of starting at the beginning of January, they kicked off the tour on January 19th in Detroit. However, the lineup that was originally set had been changed because of everyone’s new best friend, COVID. Jeremy Enigk, the vocalist of Sunny Day Real Estate, was replaced by Nate Bergman, who is a soul/progressive rock/Americana singer from Washington, D.C.
This was the first sold-out show that I have attended since all of this COVID mess. Anyway, I didn’t know what to expect. The doors opened and everyone started to file in one after another as if staying six feet apart from one another was a thing of the past. Nobody that night gave a shit about masks or how far away one was from another because that night, it was all about the music. It was very evident that was the case as soon as Bergman took the stage.
This isn’t the first time I experienced Bergman perform and each time is better than the last. Bergman is from D.C. and is currently pursuing his solo career as a singer/songwriter that he launched in 2020. Bergman holds a presence that you cannot turn away from (even if you try), he commands your attention with his soulful singing and natural ability to be on stage with just one note. His set was short but nonetheless still amazing and ended with a song called into my arms, which sent goosebumps all over my body.
As I went to pick my jaw up off the floor from how amazing his vocal range was, I noticed how everyone else was mesmerized by his musical stylings. Bergman breaks the glass ceiling with his god-given talent. It doesn’t matter if you’re a metal fan or a country fan, if you’re a fan of music you will be a fan of his. There is no doubt in my mind that Bergman has found where he belongs, which is right on stage with a mic and guitar, belting out ballads and saving lives one song at a time.
Earlier this summer, he was on tour previously with Craig Owens from Chiodos and Geoff Rickly from Thursday. You can catch him on the rest of the tour with Thursday this winter. Keep your ears open for amazing things to be coming out of this guy this spring. I was able to get a quick word with him and he said that this was “the best Philly show I have ever played.”
Following up such a wonderful opener was The Appleseed Cast, which to my shock only Chris Crisci, their founding frontman was able to perform because the rest of the band was out due to COVID, but that didn’t stop him. Crisci took the stage and showed everyone what it was all about (being a musician that is). Crisci stood alone with his guitar, a keyboard, and synthesizer on stage and proceeded to play an entire set that normally requires a full band. You could tell that he’s been doing this for a few shows now because he started to make fun of himself and the situation at hand but still managed to hold it together and rock. If you have ever seen any acoustic sets imagine that, but with the guitar being electric and the rest of the band is programmed into a tiny little box. This said box is connected to the keyboard and synthesizer, which allowed Crisci to play as if everyone was still behind him. It was one of the most brilliant things I have ever seen done on stage.
Later on, during the set, Tim Kasher from Cursive and Bergman joined him to close out and had a jam session for about 5 minutes. Everyone was intently paying attention or jumping up and down and throwing their head back, with Tim Kasher playing drums, Crisci playing guitar, and Bergman on guitar. It was one of those moments at a show where you take a snapshot because things like that seldom happen. It was extremely special to witness.
Next up was the infamous, Cursive. An old favorite that never ceases to amaze me and everyone else for that matter, one of the first waves of emo some may say. They kicked off their set with the start of the track, “A Gentleman Caller” and kept the energy up and went into “Martyr” as every single person in that sold-out show was singing and moshing to them. A five-piece band that came together in 1997 has still continued to bring the same love and fan base l after all of these years. Cursive had a solid set and closed out the night with “Hips” and the rest of “A Gentleman Caller.”
Saving the best for last, Thursday finally graced us with their presence, closing out this phenomenal night of music with the workforce. Geoff Rickly from Thursday was extremely interactive with everyone talking about how much he loves Philly and the energy of the crowd, which in all fairness is the truth. Some may call this one of their “hometown” shows seeing as Philly is right over the bridge. Each song was better than the next. They played all of the fan favorites including “Understanding In A Car Crash,” which is my personal favorite. They closed the show out with “War All The Time” and came back on for an encore.
The crowd was singing along to every word like it was their last breath. The entire night from start to finish was impeccable. It truly reminded me of a show that I would go to when I was younger and I mean that in a good way. A show that involved a basement somewhere and the only thing that mattered was the music and everything else was just white noise.
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