Posted: by The Editor
I think it’s safe to say that an anniversary tour many Thrice fans were hoping for would be for The Artist in the Ambulance, their third full-length album. When the album turned 10 in 2013, the post-hardcore band was on hiatus. A couple of years after that, the band returned and announced a couple of shows, which would basically take place in their hometown: House of Blues Anaheim (the old one before it got torn down) and The Glasshouse in Pomona. I don’t know how I managed to get tickets to both shows, but I am so glad I did. It was NUTS. Knowing they were back, I was amped up for whatever music they would go on to release.
Since then, we’ve been treated to 4 full-length albums, including The Artist in the Ambulance (Re-visited) and a 10th anniversary show for Beggars, a 15th anniversary tour for Vheissu, and 4 20th anniversary shows for The Illusion of Safety last December.
When Thrice announced the 20th anniversary tour for The Artist in the Ambulance, I was more than ready. This album was my introduction to the band as I was getting ready to start high school when the album was released. However, I didn’t learn about the band or album right away. I learned about Thrice halfway through my freshman year and eventually got my hands on my own copy of The Artist in the Ambulance. What an album. While I didn’t get to see Thrice live until I got to college, they’re a band that I’ve listened to ever since. After finally seeing them, they’ve been a band that I’ve seen on every tour or whenever they play a hometown show, so I knew this tour was not one to miss. When I made my way to the House of Blues in Anaheim for the last date of the tour, I was ready to rock.
Along for the 20-year celebration of The Artist in the Ambulance, Thrice brought rock band, HOLY FAWN, along for the ride. They were not new to Thrice fans for those that caught the Vheissu anniversary tour as they opened up for the band then. HOLY FAWN brought it as they delivered a 7-song set. Fans that already knew the band did not hold back as they played some of their more popular songs such as “Candy,” “Dark Stone,” and “Death Is a Relief.” The crowd was more than ready for Thrice once HOLY FAWN wrapped up their set.
As soon as Thrice stepped onto the stage and started playing “Cold Cash And Colder Hearts,” that was the queue. The crowd went straight to work as the singing and moshing kicked off. With just one song in, people had to be extra careful as the crowdsurfing commenced early. Thrice did not hesitate as they continued on with “Under The Killing Moon,” which is actually the first song I ever heard from them. Whether you were in the pit or on the sidelines, you felt the energy was in full force from the band and the fans. Whether it was songs that would be considered more radio friendly such as “All That’s Left” or “Stare At The Sun” or songs that leaned heavier such as “Silhouette,” “Paper Tigers,” “Hoods On Peregrine,” or “Blood Clots And Black Holes,” everyone was fully invested.
I have to say that when the tour was announced, I immediately thought about how they’d play “The Melting Point Of Wax” live. I don’t have any knowledge of them ever playing that song live prior to this tour, but I was ready to lose my voice while singing along to my favorite Thrice song. I eventually lost my voice once they played “The Artist In The Ambulance,” “The Abolition of Man,” and “Don’t Tell and We Won’t Ask.”
After the band played The Artist in the Ambulance, they continued on to play a variety of songs from the rest of their discography such as “Motion Isn’t Meaning” off If We Could Only See Us Now, “Summer Set Fire to the Rain” off Horizons/East, “Black Honey” off To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere, “Where Idols Once Stood” and “Deadbolt” off The Illusion of Safety, “The Weight” off Beggars, “Yellow Belly” off Major/Minor, and “The Earth Will Shake” off Vheissu. While we thought this would be the end, Thrice came back for an encore and covered “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” by The Beatles and finally, “The Long Defeat” off To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere.
Throughout the night, if someone fell in the pit, someone would help them up. Each fan in attendance sang along with over 1500 other fans. For one night, Thrice played an album that is dear and close to a lot of us. While they transported us back to a time period in our lives (with each of our journeys being different), in the present moment as we get older, we are able to appreciate The Artist in the Ambulance and the rest of their discography even more. Thank you Thrice.
Photos by Jazmin Lemus
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