Coheed and Cambria Concert Review

You may or may not know this, but I love going to concerts. Love it. It's one of the things that I am passionate about. I love hearing the band live, feeling the reverberation of the music rattle my bones, seeing the showmanship that they put forth. Most of all, though, I love feeling like a part of something with the other concert goers. I love that feeling that, for the two hours we are there, we are all connected, no matter how different we may be otherwise, by our love for the music. It's a deeply spiritual experience for me.

Over the years, I have seen some truly great shows. I have seen Alice Cooper twice, and both times he put on an amazing show of great music and stage performance. Metallica was kind of like a big summer blockbuster: big, loud, and awesome. The only difference is, I'd rather watch Metallica than Transformers 2 any day. Muse was an amazing experience, and I felt so incredibly alive after the show, despite the fact that 95% of the audience (including myself) were dressed in black. But since they became one of my favorite bands three years ago, seeing Coheed has been at the top of the list as far as shows I have wanted to see. Well, last night I had my chance, and they sure as hell did not disappoint.

Before discussing the show, I want to discuss the environment. Headliners is a pretty nice place for a show. There is considerable floorspace in front of the stage for the audience. The stage is small, but intimate, and it proved ample for the show. Opposite the stage, elevated somewhat on a ramp, there is a bar, and to the right of the stage (from an observer's point of view) is a balcony. It was hot inside with all of the people. There were mechanical fans blowing down on us, but everyone kept repositioning them to better suit their own needs. As such, we were drenched in sweat, but that added to the atmosphere somehow.

Before we could see Coheed, a local band came out to open. Not particularly talented, there really did not seem to be any semblance of rhythm or melody to their music, so it all came across as a lot of screaming and banging. It was kind of like Leatherface attempting to play a rock show. Worse than that, however, was the group's attitude, as they felt the need to drop f-bombs constantly (apparently they were working under the assumption that a band's coolness is directly proportional to the volume of their cursing), and remind us in between songs that they were, indeed, assholes. At times they went so far as to diss Coheed as well as all of us. Eventually, any time the band stopped playing, everyone started chanting "We want Coheed!," so the band began playing feedback in between each song. After playing about fifteen songs (which took them just a shade over twenty minutes to accomplish), they left the stage almost wordlessly, and we waited with anticipation for the band we really wanted to see.

When Coheed took the stage in a midst of sci-fi music, blue light, and fog, one could not help but feel their stage presence immediately. These guys belonged on stage, the point reinforced by lead singer Claudio Sanchez's epic mane. As they tore into a thundering rendition of "No World For Tomorrow," with us in attendance singing along with every word, the energy simply built, and it did not stop building until close to ten-thirty, when they left the stage. Coheed played a number of their best songs, including "In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3," "A Favor House Atlantic," and of course, a bad ass rendition of "Welcome Home." They also included a sweet cover of The Church's "Under The Milky Way," which would feel right at home on their next album, and capped it off with a long version of "The Final Cut," during which the band showed off their musical mastery with some sweet soloing and fun stunts, such as Claudio playing guitar with a drum stick used like a bow.

During the show, a couple of things became evident about Coheed and Cambria. First, these guys love their fans, as evident by the warm smile Claudio flashed the audience frequently, and by the amount of audience participation they built into the show. As a member of the audience, you didn't feel like you were watching Coheed perform, but rather that you were performing with Coheed. Second, these guys seemed to be having a lot of fun, and to really love what they do. That enthusiasm is infectious, and I wish all bands had that attitude. And third, was their humility. They didn't feel the need to run their mouths constantly (see the opening act), but rather let the music speak for itself. When they did speak, it was mostly to thank the audience. This is a band that has the attitude to be around for a very long time.

Any complaints? There were a few songs that I would have like to have heard, most notably "The Road and The Damned," that they did not play, but that's going to happen. And although I felt sweating like a pig added to the intimacy of the whole thing, I would have rather been cool. But these are only minor quibbles.

Coheed has been one of my favorite bands for quite some time, but after last night's show, they have kicked the door down and become my favorite band, and I believe that, all things considered, last night's show was the best I have ever seen. And believe me, that's not faint praise.