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Live at House of Blues Anaheim
December 4th, 2025 Review by Bruce R Kilgour
When Irvine-based rock band Thrice went on an indefinite hiatus in late 2011, they had released eight studio albums and were veterans of five Vans Warped Tours. The band’s three sold-out shows at House of Blues Anaheim in 2012 were triumphant affairs and were followed by two marathon 33-song sets at Santa Ana’s Observatory.
Almost three years later, Thrice began their “reunion” tour at HOB, and haven’t slowed down since; they’ve played the Anaheim venue 13 times over the last 10 years.
Celebrating their newly released album “Horizons/West,” the band wrapped up a 27-city tour with two nights at House of Blues. Support bands Modern Color and Downward were along for the entire North American trek.
Sunday night kicked off with a 30-minute set from Downward, which drew mainly from their EP “Downward on Audiotree Live.” The Tulsa four-piece band’s post-hardcore songs were delivered with raw emotion and energy.
South Bay-based Modern Color was next, and their well-received 11-song set was comprised mainly of songs from their breakthrough 2020 LP, “From the Leaves of Your Garden.”
The band’s sound is reminiscent of Deftones at times, with layered guitars and screaming vocals. Strong performances of “On & Off” and set closer “Pale” demonstrated why Thrice invited this popular band along on this tour.
Anticipation for this final Thrice show of the tour was visibly evident by 9 p.m. and the band started their set with the first two songs from “Horizons/West,” the extremely heavy “Blackout,” and “Gnash.” Lead vocalist (and sole lyricist) Dustin Kensrue sang with incredible depth and emotion, as he would all night.
“The Artist in the Ambulance” was next and was clearly a crowd favorite, producing the first mosh pit of the evening. “For Miles” was the first song of the night to feature the considerable piano skills of lead guitarist Teppei Teranishi and was the first of three songs from the critically acclaimed 2005 album “Vheissu.” A few songs later came “Still Life” from “Horizons/East,” the first to really highlight the band’s gang vocal contributions from bassist Eddie Breckenridge and his younger brother, drummer Riley Breckenridge.
Thrice performs with a visually stunning and unique stage lighting that keeps the band’s faces from being seen, which allows a complete focus on the music while adding an element of mystery to the proceedings.
“Stare at the Sun” provided another nostalgic emo blast from 2003. The only song performed from the 2009 album “Beggars” was the mid-tempo “In Exile,” and this was followed by the guitar driven track “Of Dust and Nations,” which saw intense guitar interplay from Kensrue and Teranishi.
Their most well-known track, “Black Honey,” from 2016’s “To Be Everywhere Is to Be Nowhere” was next, and the audience reacted with a huge sing-along. “Albatross” from the new album was next, followed by the beautiful “Beyond the Pines.” The main set ended with the brutal “The Earth Will Shake,” and the crowd was still amped up after the 19-song show.
Returning to stage with Kensrue sincerely thanking the “hometown” crowd for its 25 years of support, they performed the haunting new song “Vesper Light.” There was a time prior to 2015 where Thrice had tired of playing their 2002 song “Deadbolt,” but it has since become mandatory, and the track has closed each show on this 2025 tour.
Thrice has remained intact with no member changes since 1998, and this show (and tour) indicated that the band remains one of the most talented and loved alternative bands of the last two decades.
SHOW PHOTO GALERY
by Tim Markel Photography
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SID 251204 | TRACI TURNER | EDITOR
