•
Rating: I start from the end. I begin at the bottom because that's where I noticed how humble, friendly, and damn good Jeremy Bolm is. After an hour of concert, called back on stage by a "one more song!" shouted at the top of the lungs by everyone present under the stage, he returns with a laptop in hand. He puts it down, searches for the lyrics, and the music starts. Touché Amoré covering The National! Jeremy Bolm imitating Matt Beringer's voice! It would seem absurd but they really did it, they sang for us who were under the stage "Available", one of my favorite songs by the New York band.
I am at the Live Forum, it is a hot and exciting Saturday. Three bands ready to destroy everything. Three violent and powerful bands ready to shake the walls of the Assago venue. There are few of us, maybe a hundred, but we are all charged and eager to hear No Omega, Birds In Row, and Touché Amoré live.
At 9:30 PM the No Omega, a screamo band from Sweden arrive. They greet and thank with the few Italian words they have learned. The blonde singer immediately starts off fiercely, screaming at the top of his lungs and making the amplifiers shake. They play some tracks from their album "Shame" released last year. And even though I didn't know them, they impressed me with their skill and power.
A few minutes break and the Birds In Row, the best European metalcore band around come on. There are three of them but they sound like six, they are French and they rock everything. The bassist always with his back turned, the drummer hitting the drumsticks unbelievably, the leader screaming into the microphone the words of their splendid pieces. They alternate tracks from "You, Me & The Violence" their abrasive debut two years ago on Deathwish label and the beautiful "Collected" recently reissued on vinyl (funny the fact that after leaving the venue, the singer took us to the van to sell us shirts and records telling us to pay what we wanted).
And then there they are, the wait is over. At 11 PM the Touché Amoré are finally on stage. The (in my opinion) best American post-hardcore band of recent years starts with the heart-wrenching duo "Praise/Love" and "Anyone/Anything" from their latest album, that masterpiece "Is Survived By" from last year. I already have chills, and being in the front row, a meter from the band is something incredible. Another blow to the heart is the magnificent "~", the opening track from their beautiful second album "Parting The Sea Between Brightness And Me" from 2011. And when the line that gives the album its title starts, a chorus in unison starts, everyone sings, everyone shouts, everyone enjoys hearing this amazing music.
Jeremy is a stage animal, he moves up and down, climbs on the speakers placed in front and leans towards us who, in ecstasy and total exhilaration, sing the lyrics at the top of our lungs. He puts his soul into it, creating an engaging and emotional atmosphere like few others can. A cascade of songs one after another follow like earthquake shocks and are performed perfectly by Touché Amoré, who are also technically great. Elliott on drums is an inexhaustible phenomenon, guitarist Clayton (with an improbable and ugly floral shirt) plays every piece divinely.
There’s room for a couple of songs from their debut album "...To The Beat Of a Dead Horse" dated 2009. The amazing "And Now It's Happening In Mine" and "Honest Sleep" which absolutely don't look out of place among the more recent tracks. And we go back to the end, where Touché Amoré gave their all. They left the best for last, so that we who came to Milan for them could firmly keep this phenomenal concert in our memories. The catharsis and melancholy melody of "Non Fiction" is epic, followed by the devastating "Amends" and the extraordinary "Condolences" (chills!!!). When they return, called back by everyone loudly, here’s the cover of The National, executed brilliantly nevertheless and then, to close "Gravity, Metaphorically" taken from the split with Pianos Become The Teeth.
And so midnight comes, the band says goodbye and thanks us and leaves. With my heart racing and adrenaline still circulating, I leave the venue, happy and satisfied to have traveled 5 hours and made three train changes to see Touché Amoré. A band I already adored before, but adore even more now, after seeing them live. And I have to thank Jeremy Bolm for being such an approachable and available character, who when stopped by people, turns around, gives us a smile and shakes our hand and agrees to a photo together (yes, I took a photo with Jeremy!!!). A truly amazing, loud, and exciting concert. The best concert I’ve had the fortune to attend. An experience to have at least once, not only for post-hardcore lovers, but for anyone who loves and lives for music.
Loading comments slowly
