When Coheed and Cambria lead singer Claudio Sanchez walked onto the Agora stage Wednesday night (06.10.26), his large mop of curls recognizable even in the dim light, the room erupted. The band wasted no time, launching straight into the epic anthem “In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3,” and the crowd exploded again. This was going to be a wild night.
Coheed is currently on tour supporting their 11th studio album, ‘Vaxis – Act III: The Father of Make Believe,‘ giving fans a chance to hear the songs live. By the sound of it, most of the fans approve of the new ones, because they seemed to already know the lyrics to all of them.
The 14-song main set drew from across the band’s 25-year catalog. About a third of the night came from the new album, which held its own alongside the fan favorites. “Blind Side Sonny” was brief but explosive. “Here to Mars” had the crowd singing along just as passionately as the older material. One highlight of the night was “Corner My Confidence,” which Sanchez played solo and acoustic before dissolving, without warning, into an impromptu funky jam session that came completely out of nowhere.
Sanchez, ever the front man, whipped his legendary mane through the air as he shredded on guitar. At one point he used the mic stand to play his guitar and at another pulled out a giant stuffed spider and slapped it against his guitar before launching the spider into the crowd. That was all just during the first song. Granted, it’s a long song.
And the rest of the band shredded right along with Sanchez. Bassist Zach Cooper positioned himself in his traditional wide power stance and thrashed away, moving from one side of the stage to the other, smiling the entire time. Guitarist Travis Stever was no slouch, either, shredding riffs just as much as Claudio. Drummer Josh Eppard, also a founding member, drove the complex song structures and time changes with relative ease.
FULL GALLERY
They didn’t waste much time on banter, either. Sanchez said, “Thank you, Cleveland” at one point early in the set. Later, he made a speech about how great it is to still be playing shows this far into their career and how fun it is. He also made sure one of his picks reached a kid in the front row holding a sign that read it was his first show.
The crowd moshed, surfed, and sang along to every song. That’s where Coheed rises above the genre. Not only will they melt your face off, but you can’t help but sing along while they do it. The songs are too catchy and heartfelt, too anthemic to resist. Is it math rock, prog rock, or something else entirely? Who cares. It rocks.
The encore sealed the night. “Ten Speed (Of God’s Blood and Burial)” primed the crowd for one last explosion before the uber anthem “Welcome Home” closed the show in thunderous fashion. Few modern rock songs command a room the way that riff does. More than two decades into their career, Coheed and Cambria continue to explore and create in interesting ways. They never disappoint at a live show. NEVER!
Opening the evening was Arms Length and Kaonashi. Kaonashi is a sort of blend of emo and hardcore, with a bombastic lead singer. A unique act, no doubt. Arms Length is bringing back a traditional Canadian emo sound. (Is Canadian emo a thing? Something like Midwest emo, only nicer?) They were complete with a banjo player on just his second show with the band. Both acts brought something special to the stage, and anyone who is a fan of either genre should check them out.
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