Show Review: Coheed and Cambria @ Myrtle Beach 8/09/08

On Saturday I went to see Coheed and Cambria at the House of Blues with my friends Erin and Maggie (Stephen - whom I saw Dave Matthews with - was supposed to go but shit came up). The three of us will be seeing the Black Keys later in October, possibly with my friend Matt whom I saw Radiohead with earlier in May. As with Dave Matthews, I've never really listened to Coheed, but even less so Coheed. I had the intention of listening to their catalogue before we went to the show, but I was too lazy to do it. Thankfully, Maggie hadn't listened to them much, either. Coheed is Erin's favorite band, so we went.

The band Russian Circles opened at 8:00. They were alright, I've never heard an instrumental metal band before, so it was interesting. The crowd ate it up, so goody for them. If you're a fan of the Sword you should check them out. The sound is similar, but of course, no words.

The House of Blues is fairly small, so we obviously had a great view. With Radiohead and Dave Matthews, I could see them, but they were tiny. Claudio Sanchez was maybe a hundred feet away from me. Probably would have hit me harder if I was a huge fan, but I'm sure Erin was ecstatic. The show was actually pretty good, and it went by very quickly, even though they played for nearly two hours. I'm not a heavy metal fan, but they had some progressive and pop sensibilities to them, so I was thoroughly entertained. Some will criticize Sanchez on the way he plays guitar, because he plays fast, a trait of metal guitar players. Still, it was fairly impressive.

8/09/08 House of Blues at Myrtle Beach, SC

First set: No World For Tomorrow, Gravemakers, Ten Speed, AFHA, The Suffering, Everything Evil>The Trooper>Devil in Jersey City, Feathers, Blood Red Summer, The Running Free, In Keeping Secrets

Encore: Welcome Home, The Final Cut

The setlist was impressive, and the best song was "Welcome Home," where Sanchez pulled out a double-neck Gibson and went nuts. "The Final Cut" was also interesting, featuring a very space-rock type feel. It was good up until the ten minute drum solo. I'd have to listen to Coheed's catalogue before I'd go see them again, but apparently our show was the last one before their epic sets in New York and LA where they'll be playing everything they've done thus far. Unfortunately the House of Blues doesn't allow cameras, so again we don't have any pictures. If you were there or have been to any of Coheed's concerts this year, let me know how you liked it!