GLASSJAW AND QUICKSAND SHOW AT THE VARSITY THEATER

Last updated on July 13th, 2018 at 05:47 am

     Like it was the early 2000s (or mid 90s) all over again, post-hardcore legends Glassjaw and Quicksand came prepared, and brought a new level of nostalgia to the crowd at the Varsity Theater on Monday night. Both bands were previously on a long hiatus, but have each recorded new albums to bring the retro post-hardcore sound into 2018. Quicksand with Interiors, released in 2017, and Glassjaw with Material Control just released this year. The energy they brought to the stage made it appear as if they never vanished from the music scene at all.

            Quicksand, still short their guitar player Tom Capone, who was arrested in 2017 for shoplifting, took the stage with the remaining 3 original members. Drummer Alan Cage and bass player Sergio Vega (also of the Deftones), kept rhythm as lead guitarist and singer Walter Schreifels (formerly of Gorilla Biscuits and Youth of Today) belted the classic songs that put Quicksand on the map.

       They performed a well-blended set of old and new that included songs from their first 2 albums Slip (1993) and Manic Compression (1995), along with a few tracks off of their newest album Interiors (2017). Songs included classics such as “Fazer,” “Lie and Wait,” “Omission,” “Delusional,” “Blister,” and “Thorn In My Side” along with new tracks that have become somewhat popular like “Illuminant” and “Cosmonauts.” They were fine-tuned and tight, clearly prepared after all of these years, and not lacking in energy.

      Glassjaw, comprised of original members Daryl Palumbo and Justin Beck, along with bass player Travis Sykes and drummer Chad Hasty, later took the stage and opened with “Cut and Run,” a ripper off of their latest release Material Control.

      After recently facing controversy for lyrics regarded as misogynistic from their first album Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Silence, the set list included mostly songs off of their 2002 release Worship and Tribute and 2018’s Material Control. It seems that after taking accountability for past feelings and high emotions, the band decided it was best to lay some of those old tracks to rest.

      The crowd was still blessed with notable Glassjaw songs such as “Tip Your Bartender,” “Mu Empire,” and “Siberian Kiss” along with songs from EP’s released over the years like “You Think You’re (John Fucking Lennon) off Our Coloring Book. Palumbo’s presence, backed with highly skilled musicians that make up Glassjaw, did not disappoint and gave the crowd exactly what was expected. A raw, seamless set, twisting in and out of 99-02 right into the present. Hopefully, both Quicksand and Glassjaw stay away from another 10-15 year hiatus and continue to grace us with their presence for years to come.