Coheed and Cambria / Glassjaw @ Echostage 3/2/2016

I went to see Coheed and Cambria at Echostage ($49.50) in the middle of nowhere in DC. I last saw them in 2014, but never at this venue. Echostage is apparently some converted warehouse near Northeast Washinton. The venue usually hosts electronic music events, apparently. The area seems not a great place for a venue, or anything really, and it could benefit from some more public transportation an a parking area. Or some lights. Regardless, there were a ton of people there, and it was crowded, but not uncomfortably so. I was wondering how all these white people got there!  This was supporting their newest album, The Colour Before the Sun, which I thought was a bit of a drop in quality since their Afterman set of albums.

LIGHTS aaaaaaaaaaaaaa

There were hundreds, if not thousands of people there (capacity 4,000), so let's just saw business was doing well this evening. I am always intrigued by the wide variety of fans at Coheed shows- you get normal people, hipsters, indie kids, metal kids, some punk kids, and all colours of people. Music really bringing people together at these shows, which is a very nice thing. The majority of the crowd was younger, and it was also nice seeing a newer generation more...cohesive... than what you see in the media.

various merch. Flag, shirts, bag

Merch Area was crowded

BE ADVISED some odds and ends

Check out that plushie

Even Glassjaw's merch sucks

There was a ton of merchandise, but no t-shirts ($25) really that spoke to me. Maybe if they had a generic Keywork design? Prices seemed pretty reasonable for a pretty big show. They did have a plush dragonfly, which was pretty neat. I don't know how I didn't end up with that. Drink lines were pretty long, but they seemed to be moving at a steady pace. Bathrooms seemed as clean as they could be for a big venue like this. The floor was very crowded, and there were some upper areas, but overall since the stage was raised you could mostly see the band.

I would argue my camera captured how crappy they were

I actually liked their light show. Note the Green Puerto Rican flag influenced "Glassjaw flag

Glassjaw is some sort of "(Post") hardcore/indie/ not very good band. What also struck me, besides their grating vocals an discordant songs, was that their backdrop appeared to be a Puerto Rican flag. I looked this up later, and apparently they have a "glassjaw flag" which is basically a green Puerto Rican flag, but I don't think any of the members share that lineage, which is very confusing/misleading. Regardless, I thought their entire set was pretty horrible. This is one thing that I dislike /like about the openers Coheed brings with them- they usually are not pleasing to my ears. They have brought such acts like Thank you Scientist, I the Mighty, Glassjaw, Between the Buried and Me, Russian Circles, Balance and Composure, etc. I don't think I've thought a single song sounds good from these guys that I've heard, regardless of technical ability. Well maybe that one Russian Circles song...

a little artsy, minus the cellphones

Coheed and Cambria finally came on around 9:30 and played for 1.5 hours- which was a bit disappointing, since last time they played 2 hours, and the ticket price also is creeping up. I thought that the new Colors songs sounded better live, but was kind of annoyed at the crowd for giving those songs very lively reactions. I think that that album is easily their weakest yet. I also thought the unnessecary language for their first single off of it "You Got Spirit, Kid" was just a poor choice. However, I try to look at it as new fans, more music, more money, more tours, more COHEED. We'll see, cause I would hate to see the "Neverender" of The Color Before the Sun. Who am I kidding, I'd probably still go.

Screens and lights were used to some effect

LIGHTS

Overall, it was good to hear the new songs live (but I'm still not convinved that I'm going to be giving that record more than a few spins, tho). Every song older than the Colors songs was, in a word, amazing. The unique and odd blend of metal, progressive, indie, and probably some jazz that makes up Coheed I think in particular "A Favor House Atlantic," "The Hard Sell," and "Blood Red Summer" were my number one jams (besides the monstrous "Welcome Home" of course).

sometimes I was blinded

whoa oh oh oh oh

The sound at this venue was good enough, but it could have been a bit crisper. The raised stage was good, as one could see most of the band, but it still could perhaps stand to be raised a bit more. The light show that Coheed brought with them was pretty, but blinding at times. From the beginning to frontman Claudio Sanchez (Puerto Rican representation!) breaking out the double guitar for the gargantuan and always fabulous "Welcome Home," they were mesmerizing. I still think

Claudio and plaid

rockin

Double guitar behind the back. I swear these people must not have ever seen Yngwie J. Malmsteen live

Overall, it was great to see and hear Coheed again. Perhaps the horrible band that is glassjaw made Claudio and co sound even better? Whatever the case, I hope they don't come back to this venue, please.

Next show: The Who or John 5

Photos

Merch

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Setlists

Glassjaw (8:26- 9:08)

• ?

Coheed and Cambria (9:35- 11:06)

• Ghost
• In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3
• Blood Red Summer
• Island
• Everything Evil
• Key Entity Extraction V: Sentry the Defiant
• A Favor House Atlantic
• Eraser
• Here to Mars
• The Hard Sell
• No World for Tomorrow
• The Audience
• Peace to the Mountain
• 
  
• You Got Spirit, Kid
• The Running Free
• Welcome Home

Updated