GUEST REVIEWER: JIMMY HATHAWAY

After missing Jawbreaker (due to lack of age) and Jets to Brazil, I finally got to see Blake Schwarzenbach’s new band, Thorns of Life. This was also my first time going to a show at 924 Gilman in Berkeley, CA. Both the band and the venue rocked. We watched the line grow and grow. I haven’t seen people line up this early for a something since the last Lord of the Rings movie came out. We finally got inside and proceeded to watch Comrade, Off With Their Heads, and The Re-Volts rock the shit out of the place. But after each band played, the crowd would thin out as people took smoke/food breaks but not after The Re-Volts played. Everyone wanted to get as close the band they all came to see Blake’s new band.

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I have to admit, I’ve spent the last week on Youtube watching the videos and listening to Jawbreaker and Crimpshrine. and ToL did not let me down at all. As they set up, the sea of people reached critical mass and totally erupted as they began to play. I was off to the side of the stage and had a good view of the crowd moving as one while some tried desperately to steady their camera phones. I was surprised that probably half of the crowd new a lot of the lyrics already.

Blake, Aaron, and Daniela have done a good job of mixing it up with soft melodic awesome parts and intense rocking out, which is something I think Blake is very good at.

After playing, somewhere between 8-12 songs Blake did a solo, harmonica-aided song while the crowd sat totally silent. I’d have to say that besides tamales, the theme of the night seemed to be Blake trying to get back his roots by playing to people like me at an awesome venue for $8. I think Aaron may be having a good influence on him.

In a recent interview, Blake said they are trying to avoid the big clubs and everything that comes with playing them. Just like everyone else I can’t wait for a record. To me, the best part about Blake’s music is that you can totally “grow up” to it (like I did). At one time or another, I have loved every song for many different reasons and I’m sure Blake has it in him to do it once more.

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