Over the course of two decades, many things change. Changing trends, socio-political climates, hairstyles, ways in which we consume media, all are in flux, however are one thing has demonstrated staying power: post-hardcore rockers Silverstein have been a mainstay. Continually putting out new music, relentlessly touring, and staying connected to their rabid fan base, Shane Told (Vocals), Josh Bradford (Rhythm Guitar), Billy Hamilton (Bass), Paul Koehler (Drums), and longtime member Paul Marc Rousseau (Lead Guitar) have demonstrated that the grind pays off. With direct support from original Victory Record mates Thursday, Silverstein brought their 25 Years of Noise tour to The Marquee Theater in Tempe, Az.
Thursday jumped onto stage and into high gear following show openers Split Chain and Arm’s Length. The minute their logo appeared, the crowd as one launched off their feet as Geoff Rickly grabbed the mic and began tearing into a medley of “The Other Side of the Crash/Over and Out (of Control)”. A man of few words, Rickly let the music speak for itself while providing a master class for young musicians in the crowd on how to command a stage. As dynamic a front man as he ever has been, Rickly covered the entire venye, leaning into the crowd from the riser are times, barely stopping to breath between songs. Their set list mixed old favorites (“Cross Out The Eyes” had the whole crowd screaming along) with brand new tracks (“Taking Inventory of a Frozen Lake” was performed and will be on an upcoming album). Despite it the sea of Thursday fans in attendance, Rickly jokingly pointed out that “Even if you’ve never heard of us, you probably know these songs” before launching into their final two songs of the evening: “Understanding in a Car Crash” and “War All The Time.”
Headlining the show, Silverstein took the stage only after they played a short documentary with voiceover from Told, going over the bands history, how things change, and how their fan base has been their core pushing them along for 25 years. Taking the stage at Marquee for the 15th time in their career, Silverstein launched into a setlist that would cover nearly every album they’ve put out, from their earliest album, 2003’s When Broken is Easily Fixed, to a track off their up coming release Antibloom, out next month. Silverstein showed that they still can command a crowd, and vast pits opened up at the mere mention of them for “Sacrifice” and “Vices”. Shane Told also went quiet for a song, performing a stripped down version of “My Heroine”, one of their first major hits. The set was capped off with a confetti canon and a rowdy encore of “Smashed into Pieces” and “Bleed No More”.
Thursday
Silverstein
