Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Coheed 68 + bonus Kennedy Center performance

68th of Coheed
Galactic Empire
Wednesday, May 30th, 2018
Chameleon Club, Lancaster, PA

I don't know how I've never been to the Chameleon Club before, especially considering that I know one of the club owners. In fact, I don't recall having ever been to downtown Lancaster before. We used to go to the Fire [equipment] Show there every year when I was a kid (held in the parking lot of Dutch Wonderland, which I also don't recall ever visiting...) and I've been outlet shopping in Lancaster more recently. Weird.

Anyway, I spent some quality time at the fantastic Federal Taphouse and then headed over for the (pretty damn early) show. This was more or less a rehearsal show for Coheed's upcoming tour and their two-night (single song) appearance at the Kennedy Center. The bartender said that Galactic Empire had just played the Chameleon Club a night or two before, so I guess that's why they opened. They play instrumental metal versions of Star Wars songs and dress in costumes and it was pretty amazing. They even had a whole plot with the merch guy (who was a Rebel!) and light sabers. Fun stuff.

By the time Coheed hit the stage, it was pretty hot. I was in the back of the main floor and very glad I had my fan with me (best purchase of the last year). I was glad I wasn't upstairs or crushed in the front. There was some stage banter from Claudio, who said he never takes his hair down anymore except to impress the other parents at his kid's school. Solid set for my taste. The cover of Danzig's Mother got a "Holy shit!" chant from the crowd, which I greatly appreciated. I also appreciated that it seemed like most people actually knew the song, as opposed to when they used to play The Trooper and no one even knew it was Iron Maiden. I couldn't really hear or understand the spoken part of the new Prologue and Dark Sentencer, but I was thrilled to be among the first to hear it live.

Set List:
IKSSE
Goodnight fair lady
Here to mars
Crowing
Favor House 
Number City
Spirit Kid
Mother (Danzig cover) 
NWFT
Delirium Trigger
Suffering
Ten Speed
Welcome Home 

Encore:
New song [Dark Sentencer]

I was talking to a couple who was also staying at the same hotel and this was their 3rd time seeing Coheed. Cute!


Unclear how Coheed & Cambria got invited to perform with the NSO Pops, but it was goddamn fucking amazing. They played From Here to Mars with the freakin National Symphony Orchestra with a backdrop of photos of Mars and taken by the Mars Rover. I may have sung along...I definitely lip synced. It was hotter (temperature wise) in KC than CC. Again: fan.

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