Seeing Thursday play a nearly sold out show on a Thursday is a confluence of events hardly experienced, but a roomful of elder millennials came out of retirement for just that last week. Joined by Cursive, The Appleseed Cast and Nate Bergman, these veteran rockers came out swinging for an evening of good vibes and nostalgia.
With over 20 years in the game, Cursive is no stranger to the type of crowd that welcomed them to The Nile. The five piece group pulled out a career-spanning setlist while fans shouted the words and shouted more than a few requests from the band’s extensive discography. Venue staff and more than a few audience members expressed their surprise at the room’s voracious reaction, but it was heartwarming to see such a prolific band still mean so much to so many in attendance.
Bits and pieces of conversation swirled before Thursday took the stage and the room quickly learned that singer Geoff Rickly had fractured his foot a few nights prior to Arizona’s show. Concern changed to delight as the band walked out- or in Rickly’s case, rolled out on a scooter, foot swathed and elevated. While there were moments of visible pain, he smiled through a wild setlist that included the misfit anthem “Signals Over the Air”, fan favorite “Jet Black New Year” and a stellar Texas is the Reason cover.
The room was packed to the back doors and Rickly took a moment between songs to express the band’s elation at being back on stage connecting with fans after so much time away from the road. The room was ready to rage in a toe-tapping, head-bobbing kind of way and this seemed to suit the band just fine. They closed things out with staples like “Understanding in a Car Crash” and “War All the Time” before a sweaty and exhausted audience spilled into the streets ready for the next show but, for the moment, ready for bed.
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Story and photos by Olivia Khiel
