For so many legacy acts in the emo genre, the past has become an effective tool in keeping things fresh each time a band treks the country (or the world) for a touring cycle. Anniversary tours have become all but mandatory, and in some cases end up drawing more feverish crowds than the bands would garner on new albums. That's not meant to be a slight, either: there are a lot of bands who ended up changing what a mainstream rock act looked like in the early 2000s, and if they want to take a victory lap on their genre-defining efforts, who's to stop them?
Thrice's 20-year anniversary tour commemorating their career-making album The Artist in the Ambulance is the latest in the anniversary tour, which is just as much of an achievement that the band released such a good album as it is that they're still kicking all these years later. While a ten-year tour would have been the more trend-affirming option, it's important to remember that when Artist and the band's near-perfect follow-up Vheissu both hit the decade mark while the band was on an indefinite hiatus. Therefore, the opportunity was missed for those celebrations. Oddly enough, Thrice was able to make up for lost time before the COVID-19 shutdowns in 2020, embarking on a cross-country run to celebrate the 15-year anniversary of Vheissu. That tour was a special one, as it ended up being the last full US tour for mewithoutYou, and it also introduced many fans to Holy Fawn, whose biggest supporters happened to be Thrice themselves.
This time around, it's Artist, the album many point to as their favorite from Thrice, that needed its time to shine. However, the band didn't stop at a full tour of sold-out dates this time. In addition to playing the album in full each night, the band also released a newly re-recorded version or Artist. As the band have grown and expanded their sound over time, the opportunity to hear a new spin on these tracks is a welcomed one, and an investment that has clearly paid off. In listening to the new version of the album, and after taking in the band's set at the Fillmore Philly last week, it's clear that Thrice have never sounded better.
With the major promotion from opening act of the Vheissu tour to the direct/only support on the Artist tour, the band romance between Thrice and Holy Fawn is burning as brightly as any two bands we've seen tour together a bunch over the years. Holy Fawn have continued to keep themselves in elite company after supporting Deafheaven last spring, and this tour provided them the opportunity to unveil new songs from their sprawling sophomore release Dimensional Bleed. The crowd's first taste was in the form of "Death is a Relief," the first single from Bleed that features the band's signature crashing finales throughout many of their five-plus minute songs. Those crescendos seem to build on one another as the band's set flows seamlessly from one song to the next, and was immdiately appartent once their 2020 single "Candy" made way for Death Spells opening track "Dark Stone." Ryan Osterman continues to astound with his vocal delivery, as his harsh, high-pitched screams seem impossible for us mortals to achieve. In his own world on the other side of the stage, Evan Phelps provided atmospheric guitars throughout, and was always contorting himself in interesting ways throughout his performance. Once the band assembled in front of Austin Reinholtz's drum kit for the final minutes of "Seer," the crowd erupted in appreciation of a set that perfectly set the stage for the evening's headliner.
As the rest of the Philadelphia crowd poured into the Fillmore for the headliners, Thrice boomed onstage with "Cold Cash and Cold Hearts." It was an indication that the band's emotion would pour forth throughout their playthrough of Artist, and it allowed me to come to a fast conclusion: this is the best we've Dustin Kensrue's vocals have sounded in a live setting. The band's main songwriter and lead vocalist was locked in all night, and he shined brightest on "Silhouette," perhaps the best performance--by the band and those in the mosh pit-- of the entire evening. The crowd who remained on the outside of the pit made their voices heard throughout the night, particularly on "Stare at the Sun" and the title track, as well as throughout the band's career-spanning second set. That second set started perfectly with "Black Honey," as well as the band's setlist staple since 2005, Vheissu's punishing "The Earth Will Shake." That track feels like the ultimate moment of a Thrice set, with Kensrue, his fellow guitarist Tappei Teranashi, and bassist Ed Breckinridge all providing vocals throughout, and each member delivering a wall of sound Holy Fawn would certainly be proud of. However, the highlight of the non-Artist songs was easily "Dead Wake." Released as a single last year, this song that was clearly part of the recording sessions from the band's 2021 album Horizons/East featured a great moment for the band to extend and jam out to the bridge, which had the entire crowd banging their heads in unison. For a tour that had a clear focus on celebrating the past, it's always a great sign when the band's most recent release also gets a great reception.
If it wasn't already apparent, the Artist in the Ambulance 20 Year Anniversary Tour finds Thrice in a familiar position: firing on all cylinders. The band sounds great, their lighting setup is immaculate, and they're able to get the most out of tracks from across their sprawling discography. With so many things locked in and set up to help the band succeed, it's difficult to imagine this band slowing down any time soon.
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