Thrice – Fillmore – Minneapolis MN – November 11th 2025

Live Nation and Fillmore present Thrice with special guests Downward and Modern Color

Review and photos by Kyme Davis

Downward opened the evening with a moody, atmospheric set that quietly but confidently held the room’s attention. Hailing from Oklahoma, the four-piece delivered an introspective, shoegaze-tinted take on alternative rock: slow-burn chords, hazy vocal lines, and the occasional heavier breakdown that added both texture and weight. Their sound didn’t demand attention so much as invite it, coaxing the room into a contemplative stillness. As a warm-up act, the band felt perfectly calibrated — never overly aggressive, but with enough emotional resonance to set a thoughtful tone for the night ahead.

The set did feel brief, as openers often do, and moments of audience engagement were limited. Yet Downward compensated with a deliberate approach to dynamics, shifting from subdued passages to sudden surges of force that kept the performance from ever feeling flat. By the time they walked offstage, the room was tuned in and ready.

Modern Color took that foundation and pushed the energy up several notches. Coming out of the L.A. South Bay scene, the group brought a vibrant, tightly executed mix of melodic rock and shoegaze-adjacent textures. Their set moved with confidence — guitars that could shimmer or bite, vocals that ranged from dreamy to insistent, and rhythmic transitions that landed with precision. It was the kind of performance where you could sense the band’s cohesion immediately; their interplay felt sharp, intentional, and dialed-in.

The visual presentation added heft: muted stage tones punctuated by bursts of light mirrored the band’s dynamic shifts. The closing trio of songs from their 2020 release gave the set a satisfying arc, building momentum and ending with a punch that felt almost headliner-level. On this Minneapolis stop, Modern Color made a strong case that they’re far more than an opener — they’re fully capable of headlining smaller rooms and commanding them with ease.

Then came Thrice, taking the stage with the quiet authority of a band decades deep into mastering their craft. Fresh off the release of Horizons/West, the veteran quartet leaned into both new material and fan favorites with equal conviction. As they have elsewhere on this tour, they opened with recent tracks like “Blackout” and “Gnash,” setting a tone that was modern, urgent, and impeccably polished. The newer songs carried a density and immediacy that translated powerfully live.

From there, Thrice moved seamlessly into older staples, each one met with a surge of recognition from the crowd. “The Artist in the Ambulance” and “Hurricane” drew some of the biggest reactions of the night, their choruses echoing back from the crowd with near-religious enthusiasm. The band’s production was equally impressive — lighting cues, sound mix, and pacing all felt tightly controlled without ever appearing rigid. It was the confident execution of a group that knows exactly who they are and how to deliver.

By the end of the set, the evening felt like a carefully crafted musical arc: Downward’s quiet introspection, Modern Color’s vibrant energy, and Thrice’s seasoned power forming a progression that was both deliberate and deeply satisfying.