Alexandre da Veiga

PHILADELPHIA, April 17, 2024 — As I ascended from the bustling first floor filled with the typically boring Center City Saturday crowd, the transition to the upstairs venue felt like stepping into an alternate universe. The loud, punk, hot and queer space exuded an energy that was much closer to what I like and to what my pre-show research lead me to expect from this band.

Thus Love, a queer post-punk band hailing from the woods of Brattleboro, Vermont, and one of the few good things to emerge from the COVID-19 situation (the band was “forced” to create their debut album, “Memorial”, during the pandemic) brought a taste of the 80s to the second floor of Milkboy.

Within just a couple of songs, Thus Love succeeded in breaking down barriers, enticing people away from the edges and towards the stage, there was a decent amount of people hanging out in the periphery(Why? I do not understand, you paid to see this, get close to the action!). It was a testament to the band’s ability to forge a genuine connection with the audience, and get the crowd going.

This was the final stop of a month-long, sixteen show tour. Lead vocalist and guitarist, Echo Mars, candidly addressed the challenges of their rigorous touring schedule, likening it to the monotonous existence of a “french feudal peasant” due to the repetitive drive-wait to play-perform-drive routine. The toll of the road was evident, with Lu Racine's broken cymbal and Echo Mars’s weathered guitar held together with tape, Ally Juleen(bass) and Shane Blank(Guitar and Synth) seemed to have had some mercy on their gear.

Throughout “Get Stable”, “All Pleasure” and “Lost in Tranz” they struck a delicate balance, leaning into their genuine expression without turning into excessive theatricality that could overshadow their music.

To finish the night, “Centerfield” slowed things down and wrapped us in the new wave gloom and mesmerizing guitar tricks and magic that the audience, including me, loved and grooved to. “Put on Dog”, one of Thus Love’s most popular song, served as the perfect finale, the cherry on top of the loud, sweaty cake.

Turnout was respectable, but I am surprised that there were not more bodies in attendance, for Thus Love is certainly a band not to miss next time they are in town. As the house lights came on and Echo Mars told us to go home it was clear that even after a long month up and down the east coast, Thus Love left an enduring impression on the minds of everyone lucky enough to attend this performance.

Spotify: THUS LOVE | Spotify

Instagram: @thuslovemusic

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thuslove7527/featured