[DID NOT ATTEND: March 1, 2024] THICK
This concert was announced less than a month ago, but I was on board with seeing THICK again. I had seen them open for Pussy Riot and they were great. So, yea, only three months later I’d happily see them again.
This was their only show on their schedule, so I’m not entirely sure what inspired it. And with such short notice, I fear that they didn’t have a very large turnout. In fact, after Teenage Halloween, a lot of fans of the band left, so there were definitely more people there for Teenage Halloween (who are from Asbury Park, let’s not forget) than THICK.
Also, I am quite certain the THICK set was cut short. They had a pretty hard curfew of 11:30, and by the time they went on, it was close to 10:45. So, they actually wound up playing one song fewer than they did when they opened for Pussy Riot!
The setlist was not too different from the previous show, although the opening and closing songs were different.
I was up front for the first couple of songs, but I decided to move back some because the sound was a little better in the back. Plus, once the mosh pit got going (and it was small but it did get going–there was a guy with a huge mohawk who was pretty awesome).
They opened with the title track from 5 Years Behind, the album I know best. It was great to hear them started off with the frenetic shouting of “always five years always five years always five years behind.” They didn’t play this last time and it was fun to hear. It was also the only song where Kate Black played guitar and the touring guitarist Gillian Visco (from Shadow Monster) played bass.
The rest of the set was full of songs they’d played last time and it. They played the new single “Doomer,” catchy and not as heavy.
But nothing tells you all you need to know about THICK like the song “Bleeding,” “don’t touch me, I’m bleeding.” Fantastic. I love the surprising siren-like riff of the catchy “Happiness.”
Last time I couldn’t really see drummer Rosie Slater, but this time my angle was better and it was fun watching her bang the hell out of the drums.
Like last time, they played two new songs, “Mother” and “Father” which promise a more complex next album as “Father” is a ballad that deals with loss.
“Love You Forever” is a fun (newish) song with more quickly shouted lyrics “forever and ever and ever and ever.” “Disappear” has a nursery rhyme quality–a simple riff and repeated lyrics. The songs grows more and more intense as it progresses and the singers are really into it.
“I Wish 2016 Never Happened” sums things up pretty well with the chorus “I try not to hate myself for what you did; I try not to blame myself for what you left me with.”
They ended the set like last time with a two-fer blast from their 5 Years album with intelligent, snarky feminist lyrics. Both are snarky, but in different ways. “Mansplain” is a blast of punk anger.
At both shows Kate went off on a rant about being told that it’s anyone’s fault for what they wore. It was cathartic and would be amazing to see in a room full of slam dancing women. Just as funny, but in a different way is “Your Mom”
Have a babyHave a career You’re always late And don’t be gayYour mother said to meBuild your life have a family
Your mother said to meMake more moneyYou’re not a punk You’re not an artist You’re always drunk
Last time, they ended the set with the wonderful anthem, “Loser.”
You think that I’m a loser
I love when people tell me I should quit
I’ll never be a winner
I love when people tell me I should quit
Which, boy I hope they intend snarkily.
This time they ended the set with the new(ish) song “Angry,” which features the snarky refrain of “it’s all my fault.”
Doesn’t matter what I say — It’s all my fault
Doesn’t matter who I’ll be — It’s all my fault
They encouraged everyone to scream along “it’s all my fault!” which was, indeed, quite cathartic.
The set wasn’t very long. I’m not sure how much more they might normally have played. But it was a solid blast of fun and thoughtful (and angry) pop punk.
2024 Asbury Lanes | 2023 Ardmore Music Hall |
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# 2023 single
## 2022 single
€ Happy Now (2022)
♦ 5 Years Behind (2020)
⇔ Would You Rather? (2018)
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