Zoo Review: Periphery Performs At Irving Plaza In NYC!
In support of their latest release Periphery 3: Select Difficulty, the band announced their Sonic Unrest Tour, featuring bands Toothgrinder, Chon, and for the first time in the U.S., Sikth! From the moment we found out about this awesome tour being put together, we knew we’d be in attendance, and we’re here now to give you the scoop on it!
Irving Plaza was a packed house as the sold-out show attracted a pretty broad range of fans, including those who’ve long-awaited a Sikth tour since their first release back in 2003. Toothgrinder opened the show with a ton of energy, certainly setting the tone for what the rest of the night would bring. Chon followed, an instrumental band with a ton of chops and some epic legato-style riffs. Sikth would bless the stage soon afterwards, playing their most popular tracks from their first two albums. It certainly brought back some memories for the OG fans. Pin was still rocking his original Blackmachine B2 model from their first few tours in the early-2000’s (those are a rare sight nowadays). Needless to say, Sikth’s set was certainly a cherished one, as it concluded with on of their most popular songs “Bland Street Bloom”, where even Periphery’s Spencer couldn’t resist joining in for a vocal cameo!
Last, but certainly not least, Periphery graced the stage wowing the crowd with their latest tracks from P3, as well as a few oldies from P2 as well. The 3 axe-men were of course equipped with their signature models, with Misha toting his Jackson Juggernaut, Jake with his Ibanez JBM100, and Mark with his Signature PRS. Nolly (Periphery’s bassist) unfortunately, no longer tours with the band, but still remains an active member. Nolly’s absence was with no sacrifice to Periphery’s mix, however, as we were all amazed by the awesome sound the band achieved throughout night. Props to Alex Markides (Periphery’s sound engineer) for that!
Periphery would end their set at an unbelievably punctual 11pm sharp before returning for an encore performance. Drummer Matt Halpern certainly did his thing too, soloing in time to the crowd’s “one more song” chant, which would cleverly flow into their next song. Vocalist Spencer Sotelo was as dynamic as ever, keeping the crowd moving and singing along to each tune. He would go on to serenade the crowd from atop a balcony during their last song “Lune”, encouraging positive vibes on a night filled with so much aggressive music.
All-in-all, the show did not disappoint, and kept our heads bobbing non-stop long after the show ended. Furthermore, as Periphery continues to develop a larger fan-base, we can’t say anything more than that it is well deserved. The same goes for Toothgrinder, Chon, and Sikth. We really can’t wait to see what other bands emerge from this new generation of progressive music! By the way, if you haven’t heard any of these bands, do yourself a favor and give them a listen through the links below. Also, don’t forget to scroll down below for exclusive photos during Periphery’s set from the show!
Toothgrinder: facebook.com/toothgrinder.usa
Chon: www.superchonbros.com
Sikth: www.sikth.band
Periphery: www.periphery.net
Spencer Sotelo doing what he does best
Misha playing his Lamborghini Orange Jackson Juggernaut
Mark showing his dexterity on his PRS Signature
Jake adding on the layers with his Ibanez JPM100
Photos by Walter Bryant
