I drove down Vine Street about half an hour before the show. The line was wrapped around the block, looking like a Saturday night this Thursday. It is a beautiful part of Cincinnati. Louisville has the Highlands, Indianapolis has Virginia Avenue, and Cincinnati has Vine Street. It’s a small strip of real estate on the edge of downtown with plenty of local shops and restaurants. It is the place were the locals spend their weekends, but this night, the locals weren’t the only ones in the house. While in line I heard people’s conversations about where they had driven in from. People from all over were there to see Coheed and Cambria. One man even said he had driven across three states to to see them. I thought to myself, “this is either going to be a fantastic concert or this man is nuts.” The former was the case. The venue is Bogarts, and the concert hall is celebrating it’s fortieth year of being in the music business. It has seen countless bands and comedians, from little known to uber famous.
The doors opened and the crowd flowed in, and it wasn’t long before the first band, Thank You Scientists came on stage. They are a nice ensemble, with a violin and a couple of horns thrown in the mix. The style was untraditional but it worked. Cursive followed, and were also an excellent band of a similar, yet, more mellow style. These bands can no doubt stand on their own.
The room seemed to shrink as the night progressed, and it became very hard to move due to the amount of people. This was no place for the claustrophobic. Bogart’s is a good sized concert hall, but it was hardly big enough for Coheed and Cambria.
The audience went wild when the headliner walked out on the stage. They have a powerful presence and didn’t waste any time getting started. From the first song, “Ghost,” it became apparent why someone would travel three states to see them. The type of music they play is hard to describe. It makes you feel at peace. It lets your mind wander. Their music is a much more effective form of therapy than any provided by medical professionals. “Ghost” and the next two songs, “Island” and “Eraser” were previews of their upcoming album, The Color Before the Sun. Of course they played the classics as well, “Blood Red Summer,” “World of Lines,” “Here to Mars,” and everything in between. There was something for everyone, and they acquired even more fans by divulging that some members of the band were Bengals fans. After their set, the walls shook with the voices of all the fans yelling for one more song, and of course the band obliged by coming back out for two more songs for their loyal fans. The night ended after “Ten Speed” and “Welcome Home.” The crowd left Bogart’s and walked down Vine Street to their cars. The shops and restaurants were closed. The street was dead. It was as if time had frozen while we were in the concert. The only thing that mattered in Cincinnati was going on inside the building we had just left and some of us would be traveling hundreds of miles back home, thankful to have just experienced the feeling that concert gave us.
Coheed and Cambria – Island [Official Video]
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It was a great concert. Coheed and Cambria has some of the most loyal fans in business and they earn that by playing great music night after night. Their music reaches inside you and fills you with raw emotion. On a dark day, I suggest you sit back in your easy chair and play a Coheed and Cambria album, or better yet, go see them when they’re playing in town.
You can check out their tour dates on their web site. Their new album, The Color Before Dawn is currently available on iTunes.
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Review by Ted Darden, RockRevolt Contributor
Check out their 2016 Tour Dates so that YOU can see them in person as well!
02/22 – Boston, MA – House of Blues
02/25 – Royal Oak, MI – Royal Oak Music Theatre
02/26 – Chicago, IL – Aragon Ballroom
02/27 – Saint Paul, MN – Myth Live Event Center
02/29 – Columbus, OH – The LC Indoor Pavilion
03/01 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE – Indoor
03/02 – Washington, DC – Echostage
03/04 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
03/05 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore
03/07 – Raleigh, NC – The Ritz
03/08 – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore Charlotte
03/10 – Miami Beach, FL – The Fillmore Miami Beach
03/11 – Orlando, FL – Hard Rock Live
03/12 – Saint Petersburg, FL – Jannus Live
03/14 – Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle
03/15 – Nashville, TN – Marathon Music Works
03/17 – Houston, TX – Revention Music Center
03/19 – Dallas, TX – South Side Ballroom
03/21 – Tempe, AZ – The Marquee
03/22 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium
03/23 – San Francisco, CA – The Masonic
03/25 – Las Vegas, NV – Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas
03/26 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Complex
03/27 – Denver, CO – Fillmore Auditorium
