By: Connor LaLone

Alternative and progressive rock group Coheed and Cambria (“The Liars Club”) performed live at the Main Street Armory in Rochester, NY on March 14. The band’s stop in Western NY was one of the last for the group on their “Great Destroyer Tour.” Coheed’s tenth studio album, “Vaxis – Act II: A Window of the Waking Mind” will be released on May 27, and each of the three singles from the upcoming release were part of the setlist. 

The venue is an incredible place to take in live music. An armory built in 1905, it was used to train US Army soldiers for both World War I and World War II. The arena portion of the Armory houses events, and is essentially a large gymnasium, surrounded by balconies with sitting areas. By the time that Coheed and Cambria had begun their setlist around 9 p.m., roughly 80% of the standing area of the arena had been filled, and the balcony seating was nearly full, suggesting that people in the western and northern New York region were ready for a return to normalcy. 

Known for their musicianship, Coheed and Cambria do not disappoint in a live setting. Frontman Claudio Sanchez roamed the stage with a restrained wildness, and his signature flowing hair was on display for the faithful fans. Drummer Josh Eppard executed an essentially flawless show, perfectly recreating even songs from Coheed’s album “Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV, Volume Two: No World for Tomorrow,” in which the drum parts were recorded by Taylor Hawkins of Foo Fighters (“Learn to Fly”). Travis Stever’s excellence was on display all night, with brilliantly performed guitar riffs and melodies. Bassist Zach Cooper provided the steady beat for the rest of the group and contributed with his own displays of musical proficiency. 

Coheed opened with crowd favorite “In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3,” causing the hundreds within the Armory to erupt in applause. The song features several lines that Claudio Sanchez allowed the audience to sing themselves, most notably “man your own jackhammer” as well as a section at the end of the track which features a chanted melody that backs the chorus of the song. Sanchez is an expert in this regard, stepping back from the microphone to give the audience the chance to create a truly unique and atmospheric listening experience while not sacrificing the quality of the performance. 

The remainder of the setlist featured songs from the band’s first album, “The Second Stage Turbine Blade,” 2005’s “Good Apollo I’m Burning Star IV Volume One: From Fear Through The Eyes of Madness,” and at least one song from each album except “The Afterman – Descension.” A notable inclusion is “A Favor House Atlantic,” which is one of the band’s most well-known songs. The faithful crowd sang nearly every word to each song throughout the concert, creating a truly special atmosphere within the venue. 

After “concluding” the setlist with “The Willing Well IV: The Final Cut,” Coheed and Cambria performed an encore of “The Liars Club” and the band’s most popular track, “Welcome Home.” These two songs produced the most spectacular performances of the night, as Sanchez’s emotion was astonishing throughout the former, and the musical performance combined with the crowd atmosphere of the second created an unforgettable and unmatched experience for those who bore it witness. “Welcome Home” features a technically impressive guitar solo that Sanchez proceeded to play behind his head with a double-neck guitar, something that has become something of a party piece when performing live. 

Despite its Rochester appearance featuring late in the tour schedule, Coheed and Cambria put out a performance for the ages, with the members’ unmatched musicianship and incredible talent combining to create a masterful concert. The Main Street Armory was packed quite literally to the rafters with those familiar with the group’s glory, and Sanchez, Eppard, Stever and Cooper did not disappoint. 

On March 17, pop punk group The Wonder Years (“Cigarettes & Saints”) performed at Anthology, again in Rochester, NY. The tour also featured Save Face (“Preoccupied”) Origami Angel (“24 Hr Drive-Thru”), and Spanish Love Songs (“Routine Pain.”) The tour for The Wonder Years was originally meant to be last year, coinciding with the tenth anniversary of “Suburbia I’ve Given You All and Now I’m Nothing,” but was rescheduled. As such, the group performed the aforementioned as well as their first album, “The Upsides” in their entirety. 

As the album is heavily inspired by Allen Ginsberg “Howl” and his poem “America,” The Wonder Years’ performance of “Suburbia I’ve Given You My All and Now I’m Nothing” was prefaced by a recording on Ginsberg reading his own poem, before the famous line “My mind is made up/there’s gonna be trouble” that signals the start of the track “Came Out Swinging.” 

Much like the Coheed performance earlier in the week, the audience at Anthology was incredibly well versed in the material performed. At times, Wonder Years frontman Dan “Soupy” Campbell was almost drowned out by the fans within the bar. This should not be taken as a slight towards Campbell or the sound crew, but rather a compliment to the members of the audience and their passion and enthusiasm. The entire venue area had filled in by the time The Wonder Years began performing, also around 9 p.m., and even getting to the bar for a drink meant shuffling through  an angular mass of shoulder-to-shoulder concertgoers. 

The performance from The Wonder Years differs from most in the way in which Campbell would pause between songs to provide exposition and detail regarding the next track. He often provided insight into his thought process, emotions, and intentions before continuing with the albums. Notable performances from “Suburbia” include the aforementioned ‘Came Out Swinging,” as well as “Woke Up Older,” and “Local Man Ruins Everything.” Campbell gave a rousing speech condemning discrimination and prejudice before performing “I Won’t Say The Lord’s Prayer.”

Before beginning “The Upsides,” Campbell informed the crowd that the band would be taking a short break, allowing for a brief reprieve before diving into another heavy and upbeat yet depressive album. 

“The Upsides” has a very similar feel to “Suburbia,” and while some in attendance may have been slightly less familiar with the songs within, “It’s Never Sunny In South Philadelphia,” “Hostels & Brothels” and “Washington Square Park” all received rousing ovations and were certainly crowd favorites. 

Both albums focus around the concepts of sadness, depression and loss, and the experience of listening, watching, and participating in a band playing an album  in its entirety is unlike essentially anything else. The raw emotion within a building during such an event escapes description, and must be experienced for oneself. 

All in attendance were pleased to hear Campbell announce that a new album had been completed and would be released in the near future. The group has matured greatly in the years since their first two albums, and their newest work should be yet another example of the group’s wonderful ability to create music that speaks deeply to its listeners. 

March has proved that the pop-punk scene in Western New York is alive and kicking, with sell-out crowds attending concerts to see bands they have an affinity for. The famed atmospheres of concerts combined with the fact that “it’s finally spring” has created a desire for events such as these. With new albums scheduled for both Coheed and Cambria as well as The Wonder Years, it seems as though “the tides will turn” for fans of the genre.

Image from Earl LaLone