Gates / La Dispute / Thrice | 06.07.16 | Emo's
I have been beyond stoked for this show since it was announced back in January. I feel like Thrice had been teasing a comeback forever at this point and I was anxiously waiting the day they'd make it back to Austin. Combine that with the fact that La Dispute was opening for them and I was in heaven. If you know me at all, you know that La Dispute is one of my all time favorites and such and important band to me. Ironically enough, I saw them the first time I saw Thrice at Emo's but didn't care back then.... funny how much things change in a few years.
Of course I bought my ticket for this show as soon as they went on sale, but then I thought, why not try and shoot it? I've been dying to photograph La Dispute for as long as I've been a fan of because the energy of their shows is just transcendent and I've wanted to shoot Thrice for something like six years. I knew I couldn't get into the show with a publication and I had tried to email publicists for bands before without much luck but for some reason I just had a good feeling about trying to get in touch with La Dispute's manager. Long story short, he was kind enough to get me in with a photo pass for the show and I am forever grateful. Getting to photograph this line-up was nothing short of a dream come true.
I didn't get the chance to listen to very much of gates before this show, but I remember enjoying what I heard. I will say they seemed better live and their energy was so mesmerizing. Their sound and energy compliments La Dispute and Thrice perfectly, so I immediately knew this show was going to be even more epic than I imagined.
Before La Dispute's set I warned one of my buddies that I was going to make him look after my camera bag because I had every intention of jumping into the pit after my three song limit. I was still in disbelief to be in the photo pit photographing one of my all time favorite bands and it was seriously challenging because there was hardly any stage light and Jordan, the vocalist, jumps around all over the place, super quickly. I was that girl singing along in the photo pit with a stupid grin on my face I'm sure and I was happy to see there was quite a bit of jumping and singing along from the crowd. After the three songs, I threw my camera in my backpack, made a beeline to find my friends, tossed one of them my backpack and pretty much threw myself in the pit. I know I'm beyond biased, but La Dispute's music is just so powerful and meaningful and that makes it emotional. Everyone in the pit was having a good time and looking out for each other and at one point, I have no idea who was next to me, but we all hugged it out while we were all screaming the lyrics and jumping around.
It was just as difficult to photograph Thrice with their light situation and I was just as incredulous that I was getting the chance to photograph this band. I couldn't find my friends fast enough after my three songs, but I finally did and surprisingly had a decent vantage point. They played older songs I'd always wanted to hear live but hadn't until that point and songs that I never excepted them to play. I flipped when The Long Defeat transitioned into Wood and Wire and that I got to hear Daedalus; I was also so pleasantly surprised when they played In Years to Come and thought it very fitting. One of my favorite things about live music is being in the crowd surrounded by people who are just as excited to be there as you are and hearing hundreds of people singing along to music you love.
I think there's a general consensus that Mondays and Tuesdays are the worst days of the week but this week my Monday and Tuesday nights were pretty fantastic. I took the day off after the showbecause I knew I would be hurting if I didn't, and got to spend it with one of my close friends who I haven't spent time with in a while.... this could very well shape up to be one of the best weeks ever.
