Review: Thrice @ House of Blues 10/31
Photo Credit: Atiba Jefferson
Review by Jamie Ko
On Halloween, post-hardcore icons Thrice possessed the crowd at the House of Blues with their spirited energy. A decent number of fans showed up in costumes, which made for an entertaining and memorable night. Hailing from Irvine, California, the band formed in 1998 with four high school friends — Dustin Kensrue (vocals/guitar), Teppei Teranishi (lead guitar), and brothers Eddie Breckenridge (bass) and Riley Breckenridge (drums). They have consistently displayed their musical and songwriting prowess over the years. Earlier works like “The Artist in the Ambulance” and “The Illusion of Safety” gave them exposure in the early 2000s and brought in fans who are as loyal as the band is hardworking. These albums exemplify their fast-paced, melody-driven style and are seen as representatives of that era. The band is currently well into its 2025 fall tour supporting their latest record, “Horizons/West,” released early October this year.
The first of the two openers was Downward, from Tulsa, Oklahoma. They set a chill atmosphere to kick off the night. The mellow vocals complemented the fuzzy guitars and instrumentals in a shoegaze-like manner. The band maintained an air of mystery as the singer, Drew Richardson, rarely spoke to the audience—but when he did, his deadpan humor was undeniable. Although they played to a relatively thin crowd, their music was certainly deserving of a larger audience.
The second and final opener was the California band Modern Color, who loosened up the crowd with their punchy sound and energetic presence. Their songs hooked listeners with melodic intros and exploded into passionate choruses, making them impossible not to nod along to. A mosh pit even formed during their set, and fans grinned as an audience member dressed in a Garfield onesie crowd-surfed toward the stage.
When it was time for Thrice to come on, the crowd was warmed up and visibly fixated on the stage with anticipation. The band was met with grand applause as they stepped onstage. Kensrue wore a costume, just as he promised on Instagram a few days prior. He donned a blond, beach-wave wig, a cardigan, sunglasses, and a pair of striped, flowy pants, which he later revealed were borrowed and fit too loosely. I wasn’t sure what he was supposed to be dressed as, but I appreciated his Halloween spirit nonetheless.
The band opened with “Blackout,” the first track on their new album. It took the audience through a slow and dramatic buildup to the midpoint of the song, where it erupted with repetitive chants, “Black out the moon, black out the stars, black out the sun,” which carried the song into the next track, “Gnash.” Just like the imagery the title conjures, the song has a raw, gritty sound where every beat feels like a destructive impact. It perfectly showcased Kensrue’s gruff vocals. The crowd became noticeably fired up as “The Artist in the Ambulance” began. Fans sang along and jumped under the flashing strobe lights with their hands in the air, which was a unifying moment.
Thrice’s live sound was seamlessly cohesive and attested to their experience. Eddie and Riley Breckenridge established a solid foundation on the bass and drums, allowing Teranishi’s melodic guitar and Kensrue’s commanding vocals to shine through. Teranishi’s versatility was especially impressive, as he provided strong vocal harmonies that were just as audible as Kensrue’s melodies. He even sat down at a piano on the side of the stage, illuminated by a dramatic spotlight as he played a haunting intro to the song “For Miles.” Towards the end of the set, “Vesper Light” demonstrated Kensrue’s ability to channel his gravelly vocals into airy falsettos, which was a pleasant surprise. It created an enchanting aura of mystique before giving into the heavy, rugged chorus, resulting in a powerful contrast. Between songs, Kensrue thanked the audience for spending the holiday with the band. He joked, “A lot of our fans have young children who need to trick-or-treat … so thank you for ditching your children if you have them.”
The show was solid proof of Thrice’s endurance as a band. The setlist spanned from the newest songs to old fan favorites, creating an interesting landscape of the different sounds and genres they have experimented with over the years. I was a bit disappointed that the setlist, as diverse as it was, didn’t include any songs from their debut album, “Identity Crisis.” However, they still succeeded in evoking nostalgia with greatest hits while introducing the fan base to the latest development in their sound. For Thrice fans, this Halloween was alive with great music and lots of headbanging.