If I think about it I would have to say that Thrice was one of my first, favorite bands. I have been seeing them play for over 20 years and They have consistently impressed me album after album in that time. I have literately grown up with them. On October 3, they released Horizons/West which is a companion of sorts to their 2021 record Horizons/East. They are currently on a headline tour supporting that record, and on November 2 they brought that tour to Philadelphia.
Downward opened the show but unfortunately traffic kept me away long enough that I missed half their set. I did get to see them play a few high energy songs, but I was not able to grab any photos. Next up though was Modern Color and I was able to see their whole set. I had never listened to them before, but they were a lot of fun to see. I would describe them as grunge, infused with hardcore and a touch of shoe-gaze for good measure. They got the crowd moving and it was clear they made some new fans in the process.
Shortly before Thrice came out the stage completely filled up with smoke. When they did emerge from the haze and shadows the audience went absolutely wild. They soon started playing their first song “Blackout” which is also the first song on the new record. The song starts off slow and atmospheric, but half way through it builds into a frenzy of “Blackout the moon, blackout the stars, blackout the sun!” Over and over. And every person in the room was screaming along with the band. What a way to kick this off. They followed that up with the second song from the new record “Gnash” which was so powerful live. Track 3 though was their classic “The Artist In The Ambulance” which was an obvious crowd favorite and staple of Thrice’s live show. I walked out of the photo pit back into the audience and I knew this show was going to be special.
The set list was a strong 21 songs. Typically a band would play a lot of new stuff if they had a record just drop, and Thrice did. But they also made sure to play a lot of older, more familiar songs too. Over the years Thrice had moved away from the sound of their first few records which was firmly rooted in post-hardcore. After Artist and The Ambulance, an album that became part of the foundation that post-hardcore was built on, they followed that up with Vheissu. Arguably one of their finest albums, but a definitely different sound for them. Thrice has never tried to make the same album over and over, but they absolutely made sure they peppered in some heavier fan favorites in the list as well.
25+ years and 12 albums into their career, Thrice is so technically good live. Dustin Kensrue has a powerful voice which is on full display throughout these songs. Teppei Ternaishi is a wizard on the guitar. And the Breckinridge brothers: Riley on drums and Eddie on bass, the band is a well oiled machine. But it never sounds like they’re just phoning it in. I can say it absolutely seemed like they were having a great time up there, playing together after all these years. At once point Kensrue addressed the crowd saying, “It is a blessing to be able to play what feels fun and natural to us, and have people excited about that.”
Set highlights for me have to include “Black Honey,” “Stare at the Sun,” “Of Dust and Nations,” and one of my favorite songs ever, “Beyond the Pines.” The last song before the encore is also one of my favorites and one that always sounds so incredible live, “The Earth Will Shake.” That song always makes me feel like the walls are going to explode. I also want to mention how fantastic “Albatross” sounds live, one of my favorites off the new record. The encore started with another new one, “Vesper Light” before ending with “Deadbolt.” If you are a Thrice fan you already know that “Deadbolt” is probably their most well known, and most requested song. They used to have shirts that just said “Play Deadbolt” for sale at their shows. It’s nice that they are still giving the fans exactly what they hope to hear.
I grew up watching this band play. I have met them and photographed them so many times over the years. We are basically the same age. When I hear certain songs from them I can instantly feel how I felt the first time I heard it, so many years ago. There aren’t a lot of bands this many years in still doing it at the level that Thrice does. Same 4 guys who started the band in high school, they are still on the road giving it their all. They are still putting out incredible albums and it doesn’t feel like they are slowing down any time soon. At least I hope they don’t. The new record is fantastic and even if you have seen them before, go see Thrice play again. They are still as good as you remember them being, even after all these years.
GALLERY: Thrice and Modern Color at Theater of Living Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (November 2, 2025)
