A couple of weeks ago on Tuesday, March 27, the group Thirdstory performed at Nuemos in Capital Hill for the Seattle stop on their 2018 tour. This was only just after the band released their first full-length album “Cold Heart” a few weeks prior on March 9. This was also their first solo tour; however, the group had performed previously in 2017 with Chance the Rapper during his “Be Encouraged Tour” and were the openers for Tori Kelly in 2016 on her “Unbreakable Tour.”
The group is a trio including members Elliot Skinner, Ben Lusher, and Richard Saunders all based in New York City. They first gained popularity through their YouTube channel by doing unique covers of popular music. In November of 2016, they released their first EP, “Searching,” consisting of three tracks, two of which are still some of their most popular songs. As for the genre of their music, I would describe it as a beautiful fusion of soul, R&B, and indie pop that comes together in one of the most unique and best possible ways.
I can honestly say that this concert is one of, if not the best, shows I have ever been to. And that says a lot considering that I had only listened to their music a couple of times through and wasn’t particularly invested in the group beforehand.
Nuemos is a fantastically intimate venue. It is just small enough that even when in the back, the stage isn’t too far away so the entire audience can feel equally included in the show. The venue also has an upstairs loft bar area with seating available to those who are over 21 that provides a better view of the stage, which is also really nice.
However, on the main floor, the crowd for this particular show couldn’t have been any better. Because Thirdstory isn’t currently a super hyped up band, the audience was both into the music, yet respectful to their peers and the group. This was personally a breath of fresh air as most of the shows I have been to in the past have had extremely dedicated fans that make standing in the middle of the crowd a rather chaotic experience.
Of course, the music is the biggest deciding factor of how good a show is. And Thirdstory was incredible live. I enjoyed listening to their music on Spotify, but there was just something special about hearing it live. The trio’s voices complement each other perfectly, merging together in a way very similar to the sounds produced by acapella groups.
The opener – RuthAnne, an Irish singer-songwriter – was also really good. I think it’s rare to enjoy the opener just as much as the main act, but I can honestly say that I truly appreciated RuthAnne’s performance. Her music fit in really well with Thirdstory’s genre, meaning that the two acts flowed seamlessly together. She also recently released her first single, “The Vow.” However, before stepping directly into the music scene, Ruthanne wrote for some of the biggest names in music. People like Britney Spears, Martin Garrix, Bebe Rexha, One Direction and Niall Horan. She also writes a lot of Thirdstory’s music which explains why the two have very similar sounds.
In the end the blend of amazing musical talent, a great, small venue, and a respectful yet invested crowd came together to create the absolutely ideal concert experience. It made me realize that to enjoy a concert, you don’t have to be familiar with the band or go to a large venue. And it’s often the smaller emerging artists that put on some of the best shows.