Show Review: Thrice @ Kool Haus (Toronto, Ontario) on May 30, 2012 (Farewell Tour)

On May 30, Thrice’s “The Farewell Tour” stopped by Toronto where the band would play for the final time. I was lucky to catch this show; I’ve never seen Thrice live before and this would literally be my last chance. Unfortunately openers Animals as Leaders were unable to make the concert, leaving O’Brother to play a double set. This set back included, that night the Kool Haus venue seemed to be filled with a bittersweet atmosphere – entire room was filled with Thrice fans excited to watch one of their favorite bands live, the same fans who were sad this would be the last time the group graced the stage.

Thrice opened the show with “Yellow Belly” and the crowd went wild. The set composed of songs chosen by the fans through an online poll via the band’s official website. When old favourites such as “Artist In The Ambulance”, “Silhouette” and “Stare At The Sun” were played, every single person got off their feet and sang in nostalgic unison. One of the most mesmerizing points of the night for me however, was when Thrice played my personal favourite “Daedalus”. The slow tempo of the song and Dustin Kensrue’s haunting vocals eerily echoed throughout the concert theatre.

For their entire set, I was amazed by how incredible the band is live. I felt a plethora of emotions: happiness, awe, beauty, sadness and inspiration – NO concert has ever invoked that reaction in me. When “The Earth Will Shake” was played each fan recited the lyrics at the top of their lungs. Thrice even gave their diehard fans a little treat by playing “T&C”, the first song they ever recorded from their rare release First Impressions. They would close the show perfectly with “Anthology”, a song whose lyrics are a collection of references to lyrics from previous songs in their discography.

Thrice is one of the most intelligent bands I’ve ever listened to, and I’m thankful that I got a chance to experience the brilliance live. I firmly believe that Kensrue is one of the most incredible songwriters of our generation, and it’s a shame that Thrice is saying goodbye. Though their presence will truly be missed in the music scene, thankfully they left us with wonderful songs that each suggest that Thrice will never die; their songs and live show leave a permanent impression on their fans.

Check out the song: “Yellow Belly”