REVIEW: Thursday Close Out A Triple Anniversary Tour in Woodstock
06/07 @ Bearsville Theater, Woodstock
Photos by Shelby Hafener
“In the more than a dozen times I have seen Thursday, this final performance of their Full City Devolución tour is sure to go down as one of my favorites.”
It’s no secret that Thursday are one of the best live bands in the scene. For over 25 years, they have been putting on powerful and unforgettable performances in venues ranging from friend’s kitchens to the giant MetLife stadium. This reputation was solidified in Woodstock this past weekend as the New Jersey post-hardcore band took the stage at Bearsville Theater.
In the more than a dozen times I have seen Thursday, this final performance of their Full City Devolución tour is sure to go down as one of my favorites.
Opening for Thursday was Tim Kasher of Cursive and The Good Life. Kasher recently visited the Capital Region in a solo capacity, playing a longer set at the Hangar on the Hudson. Here, he played songs from his newest record, Sponges of Experience, as well as some unreleased tracks from an upcoming solo record and a new Cursive single. The Cursive single will be released as a part of a feature film Kasher is working on that is slated for release this September. Kasher’s fun demeanor and banter with the crowd warmed everyone up for the loud, ground-shaking set that was to follow.
If there’s anywhere to close out a solid, iconic tour, it’s at a venue like Bearsville Theater. This year, Thursday has been celebrating milestone anniversaries of three different albums; 15 years of No Devolución (2011), 20 years of A City by the Light Divided (2006), and 25 years of the iconic Full Collapse (2001). This triple anniversary culminated in what the band has coined the Full City Devolución tour. Each show involved two separate sets from Thursday, the first involving highlights from No Devolución and A City by the Light Divided. After this first set, the band left the stage while an intermission track played and the members geared up for a slightly shorter second set of songs from Full Collapse. The whole show was a showcase of some of Thursday’s best tracks emphasizing their talent as a live band.
The show began with a warped robotic voice telling guests to make their way to the viewing area before a disjointed version of Thursday’s “This Song Has Been Brought to You by a Falling Bomb” played over the house speakers. As the lights dimmed, a spotlight found singer Geoff Rickly in the theater’s mezzanine, wielding a microphone and two handheld drop lights. After singing through the mournful “Empty Glass,” Rickly made his way to the stage to join the rest of the band for the explosive “Fast to the End”.
From there, the set(s) powered forward like a runaway train. Drummer Tucker Rule provided a solid, bone-shaking rhythm underneath the complicated chords provided by guitarist Steve Pedulla and touring members Norman Brannon and Stu Richardson. The band was tight, showing off all the work they have put into this tour. The crowd was chaotic and responsive, singing along with Rickly and shoving and moshing to fan-favorites like “Paris in Flames,” “Understanding in a Car Crash,” and more. By the end of the night, the adrenaline of a show well played had burned to a content exhaustion as the guitars faded out and the set ended.
By being the closing bookend to this tour, Woodstock was treated to a one-of-a-kind performance from an undeniably talented group. Thursday came to the Bearsville Theater to show love to three iconic records and did so in a way that showed just how much love, attention, and talent has been poured into this band and these records over the years. Having a band like Thursday come to the Capital Region is always a delight, and this show was just one example of why music and art is so deeply loved in Woodstock and the surrounding areas. Hopefully Thursday continues to feel the love from the Capital Region and returns soon to offer us another face-melting performance for the ages.
Find Thursday on Instagram at @thursdayband. You can also find merch and upcoming tour dates at thursday.net.
Tim Kasher is currently on tour with Old Canes, you can find them at @timkasher and @oldcanesband on Instagram.