Thus Love, a queer post-punk band from Brattleboro, Vermont, recently performed at the Knitting Factory (formerly known as The Pyramid) and shredded the stage where elite bands such as Nirvana, Richard Hell, Nico, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and many more have performed. Thus Love is an incredibly talented band consisting of three multi-instrumentalists, Echo Marshall, Lu Racine, and Nathaniel van Osdol, whose goal for music is to create music that resonates with who they are, where they come from, and the community they have found in Vermont.
Before Thus Love stepped on stage, the room was full of electrifying energy after the two opening acts, Robber Robber and Flossing, set the mood for the night. They gave spectacular performances from their post-punk, grunge, and rock sound to having an eye-catching set-up with projection on the ceiling playing clips of eyes and scenes.
Thus Love’s set provided an exhilarating eleven-song set list, including three unreleased tracks. They started with an immediate bang, starting with one of their biggest songs at the moment, “In Tandem”. With every song the energy built up, and just exceeded all expectations as Echo added onto this energy by screaming, transitioning into the fourth song of the set,” House On A Hill.” This brought everyone to a new level as Nathaniel took over singing as Echo was playing into the audience. The audience was then rewarded as they performed a song called "Lost in Translation" (a song they wrote during the tour), making the night even more incredible as this tour is probably the only group of people who will hear this song for a while.
Towards the end of their set they brought to the stage a friend of theirs who played the saxophone, adding a new element to their beloved sound. They ended their set with my favorite song, "Put On Dog," where utter mayhem was unleashed on stage, from Nathaniel playing on the floor with one knee to Echo jumping onto the drums and kicking every part of the drum to the ground to Lu working with what was left of his drums, ultimately ending in Echo running into the crowd and falling to the floor without missing a beat.
Thus Love has an incredible image that perfectly meshes with their sound. They lead with love, charisma, and perform like no other band, with great stage banter that makes everyone feel welcomed and loved, creating a memorable night for everyone at the Knitting Factory
Photography by Nicole Miller