Gregory Dunn of Moving Mountains

Through a mild rain on a December night, three fierce post rock groups rocked out at the Bowery Ballroom. Those bands were O’Brother, Moving Mountains and Caspian, who are united under the common thread of having Triple Crown as their record label. The music is of a genre I infrequent these days; it’s exciting to revisit and see newer acts thriving in this space.

O’Brother, first up, definitely came out hardest and loudest of our trio. As of tonight, I’ve had a change of heart regarding them. I was nonplussed when I saw them supporting Thrice in their farewell tour, but here I got to really appreciate their forcefulness. What I found most iconic was singer Tanner Merritt’s held scream during their closer. Garden Window is their sole LP out; it stands on its own merit.

The reason I came here this evening was Moving Mountains. Their sound is a mixture of atmospheres and anthems, frequently with an edge. I’m a huge fan of this style of music, which I’ve listened to in Thrice for many years. This show cemented my belief that Moving Mountains are their successors. Their second album, Waves, which came out last year, embodies these sentiments well.

Now, Caspian, who headlined, are a truly impressive act. They are purely instrumental, and often err towards the quieter side, but their energy truly brings the music that they sow alive. Multiple times during their set you could see how synced up they were with their percussion, all strumming at once to great effect. They’ve converted me as a fan, I’ll be relaxing to their soundscapes over many a future walk home at night.

Photos by Michael Stillwell.