It's hard to compete for attention when one is in a crowd filled with people dressed up like Marvel superheroes, wizards, and furry ogres. However, rockers Coheed and Cambria managed to do just that when they played an impromptu set at New York Comic Con, as part of Yahoo!'s Crash Concert series.
Fans of the band no doubt appreciate that a comic-book convention is a perfect setting for the band's surprise appearance, as they're well-known for their conceptual albums detailing lead singer Claudio Sanchez's own comic-book series The Amory Wars. However, Coheed and Cambria faced a "superhuman" challenge in figuring out how to handle the acoustics and setup of the convention center--they had no amps, no stage, no microphones, and a large and very loud moving crowd to overcome.
The guys cheerfully took it on, terming it "guerrilla style" showmanship. "I'm not sure how that's gonna translate over," quipped Sanchez, with a smile.
Turns out, the challenge was successful. From the opening notes of Coheed's "The Afterman," the bawdy crowd calmed down and listened to the delicate, mournful tune of love and loss. Some even sang along. No small feat to silence the Incredible Hulk and Wonder Woman, right? Such is the power of good, live music--and the element of surprise.
Coheed and Cambria will be releasing The Afterman: Descension, which is the second half of a double-album set, in February 2013. The first half, The Afterman: Ascension, hit stores in October.
50 Cent Performs Crash Concerts At Brooklyn Boys & Girls Club