coldrain VAN'S WARPED TOUR live report [7/1, 7/2, 8/12 & 8/13]

[togz 2004]

 

DOOMBOX

ST. PETERSBURG, FL + ORLANDO, FL 

7/1-7/2

coldrain have been putting in a lot of hard work touring America lately and I have to say how grateful I am. I was able to attend their tour late last year supporting Volumes and Northlane, but unable to see them on tour with Silverstein this past spring. So when they announced they were coming back with Vans Warped Tour in the same year I was beside myself. I've been attending Vans Warped Tour for almost 15 years now, so to start seeing bands from all over the world join in during the last few years has been a joy. And the fact that they are bands I previously supported means Kevin Lyman and his team absolutely know who their demographic is and what is coming on the horizon. The line up this year was already wonderful but the addition of coldrain made an easy choice even easier.

 

VINOY PARK - ST. PETERSBURG, FL - 7/1

Vinoy Park is one of my favorite outdoor venues in the country, and it happens to be a thirty minute drive from my house. It's waterfront, well shaded, and generally a lot more temperate than farther inland. But that doesn't mean it's immune to the horrible Florida humidity and heat. And if you aren't used to that heat it can really be a buzzkill. By 2:00pm when coldrain hit the stage, you could tell some of the band members were not quite acclimated to the temperature spike, and they had the privilege of playing at the absolute hottest time of the entire day. The thermometer may have only read 95℉, but it felt like much more packed inside of a crowd of warm bodies, that's for sure. 

 

On both days I attended coldrain were slighted a bit in the schedule, they were set to play just after two southern region native bands with insanely loyal fanbases. Both were also amazing, high energy, and completely wore out their crowds. Today it was Whitechapel, deathcore favorites from Knoxville, Tennessee that dominated the Monster North stage. So moments after that on the adjacent Monster South stage when coldrain started their first song -the opening staple for the last year or so, "The Revelation"- only a handful of us were there to see it. It took a few minutes for the others in attendance to re-hydrate and make their way back, or hear them in passing and join the crowd to investigate. But by their second and third songs the crowd was starting to look lively again. It was hard not to. coldrain may not have been the heaviest band there, or the flashiest, but they play insanely catchy, hook-heavy, hard rock and everyone who even looked in their direction once they began playing had no choice but to nod along. 

 

coldrain took the stage in the tried and true Warped Tour band 'uniform' clad in all black with some ripped jeans, save vocalist Masato's patched-up, sleeveless denim vest that harkened back to the tour's punk rock grassroots. Masato kept things jovial as he could between songs as he introduced them as a band all the way from Japan. "Yes, I said Japan," he teased at what I assume were a few confused looks from the crowd. They attacked their set and gave it a hundred and ten percent of their efforts. Both guitarists Y.K.C and Sugi kept up insane levels of energy, headbanging, kicking, and spinning along to a nearly flawless musical performance. RxYxO was probably the most interactive with the crowd during songs, as he yelled out for us to jump, scream, and clap along. Katsuma pounded on his drums in near mechanically precise meter. coldrain are a well oiled machine and anyone who sees them live can testify to it.

 

But, even despite their almost ten years of experience playing concerts, effects from the heat are still unpredictable and can sneak up on you at any moment. The set list was designed to keep bumping up the energy with every song, and it did exactly as intended, but that also seemed to take a toll on Masato as nearing the end of "The Words of the Youth" when his face became so pale that everyone in the front row looked at each other in concern. The others seemed sweaty and tired, but Masato alone looked as if he'd faint at any moment. Though, that didn't stop him from screaming with everything he had. Maybe it looked worse than it felt to him at the time, but he did make a comment about the heat being ridiculous in the quiet moments before "The War is On" started up. That small break seemed to be just enough to give him whatever he needed to fight through the rest of the set and by the time they wrapped up the final song "Gone" it was almost all but forgotten. 

 

That was until the meet and greet half an hour afterwards at their merch tent. coldrain were patient and kind to their fans, as they usually are. We did have a small exchange about the heat and there were a few curse words strewn along to describe it jokingly on both sides. They smiled for every picture and were happy to sign as many items as anyone asked for. Their level of professionalism isn't left on stage and they make an effort to make every fan feel appreciated. Their merch salesperson had a tip jar offering to teach how to "curse in Japanese", and we spoke with her a while as we purchased our coldrain swag (t-shirts, bandanas, and extra copies of VENA and The Revelation to get autographed). Needless to say we helped teach her a few more curse words that day as well. She also deserves a small shout out for being equally awesome and helpful.

 

TINKER FIELD - ORLANDO, FL - 7/2

As the main problem for the Vinoy Park show had only been the heat, the problems for Tinker Field were just about everything else. coldainposted their set time was 7:00pm, with a 3:00pm meet and greet/autograph session. Our travel time to Orlando was only just over an hour, but there was no way we would agree to wait in the heat all day and have any kind of energy to dedicate to coldrain's set. Maybe I'm just getting old. But in any case, we decided to forego the meet and greet and enter the venue around 5:00pm. This was also compounded by the onslaught of rain that began right around 3:30. And by some miracle, we marched our way up to the entrance in the downpour only to have it stop just as they scanned our tickets. The J-Rock gods had blessed us and changed our luck. We were not going to take it for granted!

 

As previously mentioned the schedule was none-too-kind, the band slotted just before coldrain were actual Florida boys this time, Wage War. And if you add to that the fact that it's been a while since they last played in their home state then you end up with a ton of concert-goers who followed Wage War directly to their merch tent the minute their set was over. The rest of us left were mostly soaked, sunburned, hungry, thirsty, and exhausted. Well, except my group, of course. But if we hadn't been lucky enough to attend two days in a row, that would have certainly been us right along side of everyone else. 

 

As we hit early evening, the sun began to skim the horizon and coldrain took to the stage. They had opted to play the same set list for a second day in a row --not that anyone was complaining. The later set time and cool breeze after the rain had the band energized and ready to kick some ass, at least. Masato apologized for having "the most annoying band name of the day" but everyone did their best to keep the mood up. Masato smiled at everyone between songs, while Sugi sent out plenty of smiles and winks to anyone who watched him long enough as well. The rest of the band were totally into it and in their element as they played through the set. The crowd got hyped enough to keep the muddied mosh pit going through most of "Runaway" and "Words of the Youth". It was actually kind of amazing if you could see how dead everyone seemed between bands to how much energy coldrain managed to pull from the crowd. Hearing "Gone" at the end of the set was even more bittersweet since it may be a while before I get to see them again. But Masato's soaring vocals and the absolutely monstrous, anthemic drumming from Katsuma in this song just took it to another emotional level live that you can't find on the recording. Although, I highly recommend you get your hands on their most recent album VENA because it is still worth every penny. 

 

 

Both days I was able to attend ended up being quite exciting and I'm happy to learn as the tour progressed coldrain's crowd grew day by day. I did get to enjoy a few other bands during the two days, namely some pop-punk favorites in New Found Glory and Sum 41 (who brought on all of the school yard nostalgia), and my emo not-so-guilty pleasures Emarosa and Too Close To Touch. Also worth mentioning is Volumes, who toured with coldrain previously and put on an equally intense show. It was a great year for fans of the tour and I hope they continue to bring in more foreign acts from Japan and other countries to broaden the musical palette of the predominantly young audience. 'Best day ever'? Pretty damn close.

 

SET LIST

The Revelation
Wrong
Runaway
The Words of the Youth
The War Is On
Gone

 

TOGZ

Auburn, WA + Portland, OR

8/12 - 8/13

 I had the pleasure of experiencing coldrain live for the first time this past March. Prior to this show I hadn't really listened to them much. Their energy completely turned me around as they were arguably one of the best bands I have seen live, and if you're not already familiar with them you're definitely missing out. I remember asking Masato if they'd be back and all he mentioned was possibly summer. Immediately I thought of Vans Warped Tour since they're known for bringing bands like Crossfaith and One ok rock. A month or two later it was announced that they'd be joining the line-up for  all dates. I planned to attend two different dates of Warped Tour once I realized how many bands I wanted to see. 

 

WHITE RIVER AMPHITHEATER - AUBURN, WA - 8/12

Because of morning traffic we arrived at the Whiteriver Amphitheater at 10:00am. We must have beat the rush because parking was a blessing and we got settled fairly quickly. Thanks to twitter, we already knew what time coldrain would be playing and what stage so we decided to hang out in the car until 11:30am getting a pre-buzz. (Don't do drugs stay in school.) After downing some drinks and eating some snacks, we headed in and secured a spot at the front of the stage. At this time it wasn't too hot just yet and the sun was still low so the stage actually provided us a nice shaded area. 

 

We patiently waited at Monster Stage South was the stage and yet 12:30 felt so far away. We managed to warm up to the band that played before coldrain, which I can't quite recall what band it was but they were pretty rad. After they finished their set, the Monster Energy North stage blasted as coldrain began to set up their equipment.  It was in that moment that I realized the band playing next to them was a band I wanted to see for some time, The Word Alive.  I decided to watch them from afar since I didn't want to give up my spot so close to the stage. As soon as the other act was finished, coldrain's entrance music began. Soon enough, the members came out one by one to the stage and the fans shouted their names.  "The Revelation" was their opening track which was a great burst of energy to get the crowd moving. Despite it's heavier guitar work and really intense screaming, when the chorus hit the crowd was chanting it loudly as a whole.  The shouting and chanting of lyrics didn't end there. The guys continued to spew out their most popular pieces such as "WRONG", "No Escape", and "Runaway". 

 

During their set, Masato gave a short MC to really encourage the crowd to get involved. Some people may have known this already, but Masato has family in Seattle. As he spoke the the crowd, we all learned that his niece and nephew were watching him perform for the very first time. He asked all of us for our help to sing the title that they'd play next to help him look like the "Coolest uncle he should be." Naturally all the fans yelled and shouted in agreement to help him in such a task. After that, "The War is On" began. I personally thought that was cute request and I'm sure the fans efforts really showed his niece and nephew just how cool he really was.

 

"Gone" was the last track and before it even started, fans were already clapping to the beat of the intro. This song is upbeat and has a great bass and percussion flow to it, but people were more focused on singing their hearts out to this song to really go wild. It was amazing hearing so many people sing the words to this song. And here I thought not too many people knew about them when crowding the stage. I'd be surprised if the band wasn't impressed by the vocal efforts of the crowd. As their set ended, they thanked us and threw out a few picks and drumsticks and then fans scurried off to the merch booth for the signing/meet and greet that was scheduled shortly after. 

 

I decided to buy all the merch that I wanted on this day so I wouldn't have to carry so much around the next day. I ended up buying the white tank top and the black and white marble tie-dye shirt. But of course I had to get something signed, and I wanted to be able to wash my shirts so that was out of the question. I bought VENA and The Revelation for $15 combined which was really a great deal. The only problem is now I have 3 copies of VENA!! All the more to share with friends. Anyway, with each purchase you got a pair of chopsticks with a little paper holder that had the bands logo. The booths tip box also had the phrase, "Leave a tip and I'll teach you some dirty words in Japanese." I felt disappointed because when I left a tip all I got was, "Arigatou!" I would have tipped anyway. It was cute and laughable but it was clear the band was very prideful and made it known where their home was. 

 

The wait wasn't too long and off in the distance you could see the bands' heads over the line of people as they made their way over. The signing and meet and greet wasn't rushed in any way and everyone got to spend a reasonable amount of time with them. A few fans took quite a few pictures and even brought gifts. I myself asked for a selfie with each of them because I'm a selfish bastard. It worked out great because I took pictures while waiting for them to sign my CD anyway. That day i had worn a Her Name in Blood shirt and immediately their drummer Katsuma pointed it out (just as he did when I saw them the first time) with enthusiasm that he knew what I was wearing. The only difference from the first time I met them was the rest of the band noticed too. I was also surprised by how friendly they were and instead of offering a handshake or a fist bump, they welcomed me with open arms and smiles. After the hugs, autographs, chopsticks, and photos, I told them I'd see them the next day and Y.K.C. excitedly replied with, "YEAH?! You know it's last show!" I replied with, "It's gonna be so crazy!" and bid my farewells and continued the rest of the day. 

 

The rest of the day was extremely hot and we spent most of our time standing under the water stations they had to drench people in. We did however manage to see a few other acts like Cane Hill, Veil of Maya, Wage War, and Issues. There were other acts I stopped for but they didn't exactly stick. We left around 6:30pm so we could get enough rest to make the 3 hour drive to Portland the next day.

 

PORTLAND EXPO CENTER - PORTLAND, OR - 8/13

Man, oh man. Portland Expo Center is a nightmare. I swear I was tired before I even got through the gates. Even though we left at 6:30am, we were not parked and in to the venue until 12:30pm. That's 6 hours! Personally, I have been to this location for the same tour before and I remember it being the exact same nightmare. The space allowed for parking was so small near the actual site and even though we waited nearly 40 minutes in a huge line of cars we still ended up being redirected 10-15 minutes away.  Of course from this location they offered shuttles... in school buses. Nothing better than being surrounded by a bunch of teenagers on a school bus making your way over to Warped Tour. We decided to walk and got there before the shuttle did. 

 

Getting to the venue after doors opened wasn't useful at all. The lines were still long and having the show the day before to compare to, I wasn't pleased. FINALLY! We got in and I didn't even bother looking at the schedule and I stormed past people to the Monster Energy South stage. It was slam packed as Veil of Maya was in the middle of their set. Thankfully, Veil of Maya is one of my favorites so I pushed my way past the pit and by the end of their set I was one person/row back. This made it easier for me to grab the railing as the Veil of Maya fans scurried off to their next band of choice. 

 

You know, for not moving around much, my face was already drenched in sweat. Since it was later in the day the stage didn't provide any shade, and I could feel my skin frying. With the heat the wait just seemed so long, but I was able to converse with other coldrain fans who came specifically to see them. Two girls had driven all the way up from California and told me they'd seen them during earlier dates of the tour. This tour surprised me with how many people came just for coldrain, but it was clear a lot of people had just discovered them that day. 

 

The set was pretty much the same only the crowd was way more energetic about each song than the previous show. It was the last day after all. This show had crowd surfers, moshing, and water bottles flying everywhere. Even the security guards got involved and threw water on to the crowd. After the set was over, they bid their farewells and thanked the crowd. Katsuma came by and threw some drumsticks. I couldn't jump high enough to catch them, but I still managed to get my hands on one, thanks to my friend who received it from a staff member that handed out the remainder laying around. Due to the heat and how crazy the crowd was that day, I literally felt like I was going to pass out. We found a nice shaded area near the band's booth while we waited. 

 

This meet and greet was even more personal than Washington was and I was able to pass by and say hello to the guys several times even after the signing session had ended. I received a hug from each member and told them how great they did and that they should be proud. Masato was extremely genuine and I got the chance to really just chat with the guy.

 

Overall, coldrain was fantastic and I'm definitely looking forward to their return whenever that may be. The stage set up and sound quality were the same for both venues, but I still prefer Auburn over Portland simply due to the heat and the poor staffing at the Portland Expo Center. In order to make both of these days just one flawless show, I would have it at the White River Amphitheater with the crowd from the Portland Expo Center.

 

SET LIST

The Revelation

WRONG

The War is on

No Escape

Runaway

Gone