Watching a Coheed and Cambria show is probably a lot like listening in on Neil DeGrasse Tyson lecturing in a 4000-level quantum physics class: an epic, boisterous exchange, aside from the fact that you have no idea what the fuck the guy on stage is talking about. [Text by Andrew, photos by Mike.]
I’ve got a feeling a lot of the people in the packed, outdoor crowd were and still are in the same boat with regards to Coheed, the dorkiest band to make the most overly grandiose sci fi rock since Rush. Regardless, they shredded last Wednesday night away in support of their latest two-part concept album, The Afterman: Ascension and The Afterman: Descension with a fiery sense of technicality and balance that was neither really invigorating nor disappointing.
Coheed’s always been a band I’ve really just enjoyed for the “sound.” Claudio Sanchez could easily sing about scrambled eggs and baby toys with the same vocal melodies for any of their “hit” songs and most of us probably wouldn’t really give a shit, right? Because if there’s anything worse than a concept album, it’s a band that has an entire discography based on one over-involved and under-inspired outer space sci fi concept. Coheed’s own is called "The Amory Wars" and, god bless you if you can get past the first two sentences on its Wikipedia, it involves a lot of planets and energy fields and good guys and bad guys and an overruling messiah/savior figure named Claudio Klingannon.
“Wait,” you might be saying to yourself. “The lead singer named the messiah, the savior, the Jesus to his very own bible, after himself?” Yes, yes he did.
Which is why it’s best, if you’re going to a show like this, to just bob your head, sip overpriced beer, scream along to whatever you think they’re singing, and just appreciate this thing for what it is, in front of you, right at that very moment. Because, like 4000-level quantum physics, once you start learning, shit gets kind of weird.
Set List (Courtesy of setlistfm.com)
Pretelethal
Key Entity Extraction V: Sentry the Defiant
A Favor House Atlantic
Goodnight, Fair Lady
No World for Tomorrow
The Crowing
Key Entity Extraction III: Vic the Butcher
Key Entity Extraction IV: Evagria the Faithful
The Afterman
Here We Are Juggernaut
Dark Side of Me
In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3
Encore:
Wake Up
Key Entity Extraction I: Domino the Destitute
Welcome Home
