Although the summer concert season hasn’t officially begun, lots of shows are already being played in amphitheaters. We all know that Mother Nature can delay, postpone and even cancel shows if she decides to throw a temper tantrum. Well, we are already seeing that early on. On 5/13, Coheed and Cambria’s The Infinite Arc Tour with Mastodon and Periphery made a stop at the Red Hat Theater in Raleigh, NC. As we watched the radar and forecast, storms had threatened the show all day long. Shortly before the scheduled time for gates to open, we looked as if we were in the clear. Well, that’s when Mother Nature decided ‘Oh really? Hold my beer.’ Lightning was spotted on the radar off in the distance so we were delayed. Fans were told to “seek shelter” with some going to their cars and others, including all of the photographers, went over and stood in the parking deck. Soon, the skies opened and the downpour began. Then, the sun came out as the downpour continued. After being delayed close to 90 minutes, the thumbs up signal was given, the gates opened, the pit people ran to get their spot (hopefully against the rail) and we waited. The question on everyone’s mind was how would the delay alter the show? Would each band get their time cut? Would Periphery even get to play? Our question was answered pretty quickly as we were told each band ws getting their time cut with Periphery, who was opening, being cut to a mere 15 minute set. It was better than being completely cut, but it did leave a sour taste in the mouths of lots of Periphery fans. Damn you Mother Nature!
After great sets by Periphery and Mastodon, the lights dimmed, the giant figure on the back of the stage inflated, the screen lit up and the band hit the stage. Yes, Coheed and Cambria’s set had also been cut so they had a lot of ground to travel in a short amount of time. Their short set, roughly an hour in length, leaned heavily on their new album (which may I add is pretty damn amazing) The Father of Make Believe. Lead vocalist Claudio Sanchez’s vocals sounded amazing. The duality of his delivery in being aggressive when needed yet then being able to pull back to a tender, softness is an interesting quality to have. His massive mane of hair is also a mesmerizing thing to watch. As he gets lost in his guitar playing, sometimes his entire face also gets lost inside his locks until he shakes it back.
The entire band sounded incredibly tight and I hated that our set was cut so short. I do hope they return to Raleigh, NC so that we can (fingers crossed) hopefully get a full show on this album cycle. As always, the visuals that the band used during the songs really added to the sci-fi element that their content takes on. This entire show, from top to bottom, is amazing. Catch them if they come to your town or somewhere close to you. If it’s an outdoor shop, keep your fingers crossed that Mother Nature is in a better mood than at ours.
Review & pix by I’m Music Magazine Owner/Editor Johnny Price
