On one of the first cold October nights in Indianapolis, IN fans lined up wrapping around Old National Centre to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Thrice’s iconic album “The Artist in The Ambulance” that was originally released in 2003 and was a staple in the CD collection of emo rock fans. Indianapolis was the second stop of the tribute tour, and the crowd set the energy for the remaining dates. Though the night was short and sweet, it was a night to remember seeing rock duo ’68 tear up the stage with eclectic energy and antics followed by the legends in Thrice.
’68 isn’t shy when it comes to giving it all on stage. Members Josh Scogin and Nikko Yamada’s energies seem to be perfectly intertwined by the music they create. If you watch closely, you can see this intertwinement in real time as they bounce back and forth, queue one another in, and go astray from typical recorded versions by adding a little more spice to the live show. Amongst their antics featured Josh Scogin launching his guitar 20+ feet into the air as it almost grazed the lighting truss multiple times, both members slowly losing more pieces of their black and white suits, an audience member holding the guitar while Scogin bounced around stage, and finally ending their set with Scogin slowly removing pieces of Yamada’s drum set until he was left with nothing but a snare to close it out. ’68 overall was the perfect opener to warm up the crowd and set the bar high for energy.
Thrice immediately got right to business opening with “Cold Cash and Cold Hearts” and proceeding to play straight through the entirety of “The Artist in the Ambulance” without any breaks, which is an impressive feat. Front and center, only a few rows back, a group of diehard fans led a moshpit throughout the entire night as they screamed along to every word. Special mention goes to “Blue Flannel Guy” who received a shoutout from the vocalist for collecting and returning lost phones from those in the pit, though he did not succeed in returning a shoe that at one point in the night was launched from the pit towards the back of the room.
As the lights shined on the crowd Thrice saw about a thousand or so faces smiling up at them and singing their hearts out. Nostalgia filled the air as the crowd was transported back to 2003 for the duration of the album. The crowd was transported once again as after the entirety of “The Artist in the Ambulance” they were met with hearing their favorite hits off of various other albums. While Thrice was shy when it comes to crowd banter, they are not shy to flawlessly filling a night with music. Thrice ended the night in Indianapolis with an encore that consisted of two songs; “Black Honey” and “The Earth Will Shake” that perfectly closed out the night. With a final bow and a “see you soon” the night concluded encompassed by a symphony of cheers.
