Thirdstory may not quite be the biggest of bands, but they’re well on their way to becoming a household name. The trio have currently embarked on their own tour since supporting Tori Kelly on her 2016 Breakaway tour and I got the chance to pop in and watch their second London show in Oslo Music Venue. The insanely talented Mahalia and her acoustic guitar set the tone for the evening, with the crowd singing along harmoniously to her originals and were extremely reactive to what was going on on stage.
Thirdstory began their set with a slow harmonic loop. The threesome built up the tension until the drums came crashing in and the sea of entangled bodies quickly sprung into action. Their spiralling harmonies drew an immense response from those in attendance and the general reception is a sign that Thirdstory are currently at the top of the pile when it comes to harmonic bands. Small chats with the crowd and interactions between songs broke up their melodic songs, melodies that incorporated a plethora of various instruments; detailing the intricacy of each musical variant.
Every now and again the boys would catch eye with each other and share a cheeky grin. This, along with their unique musical take on pop songs, shows just how hard they’ve worked to get here and how their desire emanates throughout their performance. Thirdstory focus heavily on the idea of love – really, that’s the root of much music. Their originals tell the stories of their own personal escapades, such as Richard talking about his train journey from Brooklyn in G Train and introducing it as a personal anecdote. Although their music is written about personal experiences, they’re emotions and states of being that many people have endured.
The audience was packed, tickets having sold out in the first day of release. A powerhouse of vocals that varied across a wide-spanning spectrum caught the attention of the attendees. They performed a range of their most popular covers such as ‘Style’ and ‘Hotline Bling’, covers that have racked up millions of views on YouTube. The audience loved every second of it, bouncing up and down to the beat and harmonising with the boys on stage. Personally, I struggled to keep up with who was singing what part sometimes, that is how moulded their melodies are and how blended they merge with each other. Each of the three showed an epic range, both in the backing harmonies, their solos and loops, the latter which reaching perfection with a significant lack of autotune.
After two nights in London they’re now on their way to Paris, but hopefully, the UK will see them return with more concert dates next year. With such a dedicated and enthusiastic reception, I doubt it’ll be too long before the New York Trio will be back.