Last week, Baltimore Soundstage hosted another great show with Thrice coming back into town. Modern Color and Downward are joining them for the entire run. I hadn’t heard of Downward or Modern Color, but I knew a lot of friends at the show that are who were excited they were both on this run.
Downward is a 4-piece band from Oklahoma that brings a mellow-sounding take to post hardcore and alternative rock. The singer has a soft, light voice similar to Thom Yorke of Radiohead and Chris Martin of Coldplay. The band as a whole is reminiscent of these 2 bands; slow rock with bits of heavy choruses and breakdowns woven in. A friend of mine who was there had mentioned that they played some new stuff, but more older songs, which he loved. Overall, it was an enjoyable set; a little on the slower side for me, but I could still see myself editing to their music or just relaxing on a slow day.
Modern Color was up next, from LA’s South Bay area. As soon as they began playing, I immediately thought of Deftones mixed with some Pixies and Tool to some extent. One of my friends, who was very excited to see these guys, referred to them as “Shoegaze Music,” which I had no clue what that meant. As I was listening and nodding my head along, I looked it up; Shoegaze is defined by its use of heavy guitar effects, soft and ethereal vocals, introspective lyrics, and immersive production techniques. Along with the drummer offering amazing backup screaming vocals during songs, I can definitely see this band being characterized this way; also, add some moodiness to it, and you’ve got Modern Color.
During their set, I noticed that the setup was different than a lot of other sets; the lead singer/guitar was stage right, the other guitarist was stage left, and the bassist was off center so that their drummer wasn’t blocked. I really enjoyed this because I feel like sometimes the drummer gets lost in the back if they are not on a riser or off to the side themselves. I was able to pay attention to everyone equally. I loved their ability to throw you a curveball; during “Now, Life Is Living You,” you’re nodding/swaying your head listening to the lead singer’s soft voice, and out of nowhere comes a heavy breakdown with the drummer delivering an explosion of screaming vocals.
It was time; the stage was set with at least a dozen tube lights across the stage, behind every member’s position, and the stage was dark with some ambient light from the venue. Thrice had just released their latest album, “Horizons/West,” the companion album to their 2021 album “Horizons /East.” When they initially wrote for Horizons/East, 20 songs total were done, but only 10 made it. The rest were saved and are now part of “Horizons/West.” The first two songs of the set were off the new album, “Blackout,” and “Gnash.” It was a great way to start the show, complete with lots of strobe lights, lots of heavy-hitting beats and riffs that you felt in your core. They went back to 2003/04 with their third song, “Artist In the Ambulance,” which drew an insane amount of cheering from the fans who were expecting it sometime during the set.
Along with strobes, more colored lighting became part of the incredible production from Artist In the Ambulance on. Thrice has over 20+ years’ worth of music that could’ve been a part of this show, and they did a great job picking out the setlist. Other songs included “Hurricane,” “Paper Tigers,” “For Miles,” “In Exile,” “The Dark Glow,” and “Deadbolt.” Midway through the set, the band recognized a fan who was holding up a sign stating it was their 40th birthday. The singer added how cool it was that there were people at the show spanning 3 generations, and they couldn’t be more thankful for that.
Not every album sounds the same as the previous, and that’s what has set Thrice apart, keeping them a favorite for over two decades. They’ve shown that they’re willing to take risks with their music and keep fans wanting more. For anyone who hasn’t seen Thrice live, I highly recommend it; they’re now one of my favorite bands I’ve seen live. Between their songs, production, and of course, the crowd going wild, you won’t be disappointed. Make sure you follow them and get out to a show before they decide to call it quits.
