With the release of their new, self-titled album last week, Corrosion of Conformity set off on their first headlining tour since reforming as a three-piece. The tour’s first date occurred last Thursday at New York’s Gramercy Theater. It was a surreal arrival, as a visit to town by President Obama had all of 23rd street barricaded off, and dozens of cops lined the streets. A member of C.O.C.’s crew remarked that they were given only ten minutes to unload. Once inside, fans were treated to great sets from A Storm of Light, Valient Thorr, Torche, and of course C.O.C.
A Storm of Light led things off with a somewhat short set that had the crowd satisfied, but the audience didn’t really get involved until the high octane riffage of Valient Thorr. While they’re solid on record, the fun of the band really comes out in a live setting, where frontman Valient Himself did pushups on the stage, climbed up on the barrier, and put on the most energetic performance of any of the bands’ frontmen. Torche inspired quite a bit of headbanging from the crowd, playing an equal amount of older music from their first two albums and selections from Harmonicraft, their first album for Volcom, which is due next month. C.O.C. tore through a set consisting of equal parts their new album and stuff from 1985’s Animosity, the last album since their new one with the trio of Reed Mullin, Mike Dean and Woody Weatherman. Photographer Diana Lynn Ring was there, and captured the evening on film.
