Cold (the band, not the weather) returns to Syracuse for their tour 

Syracuse might’ve thawed out, but Cold swept in with bone-chilling post-grunge power. The band, Cold, came to The Song and Dance on April 9 for a night of 2000s angst.

Last summer, bands like Weezer and Green Day did full album tours to celebrate major anniversaries of The Blue Album and Dookie. Many other bands have jumped on this nostalgia tour trend this year including Styx and Cold.

Cold celebrates two major album anniversaries this year. 13 Ways to Bleed on Stage turns 25 and A Different Kind of Pain turns 20 — both of which, the band played in their entirety. 

On tour with Cold, September Mourning and University Drive opened the night as fans from ages 10 to 65 wearing tie-dye band tees and black ripped jeans poured into the venue.

The anticipation grew in the small standing room as the lights dimmed down. Nothing lit the space except for the two large glass boxes filled with glow sticks. The smoke machine blasted and the hum of guitar and bass reverberated in the room before Cold entered, starting with A Different Kind of Pain.

Their first song, “Back Home,” had a fast distorted guitar riff intro and powerful drums began as Scooter Ward, lead singer, stepped on the amp beyond the stage. He stood in front of the crowd, singing to fans who looked up at him in awe.

For “Anatomy of a Tidal Wave,” Ward stayed on the amp to tell the crowd that the song was written when he lost someone to Hurricane Katrina. The song starts with thunder-like bass drums and when Ward sang, it sounded like he was surrounded by a storm of music.

Photo by Jenna Sents

Cold bassist, Lindsey Mandfredi twirls in the purple stage lights while playing during the band’s performance at the Song and Dance.

Light bounced off the disco ball hanging from the middle of the room. The band was back-lit by blue and red lights that hit the smoky air like a storm cloud.

After going off stage for an intermission, Cold came back out to finish the night with their album 13 Ways to Bleed on Stage. They played popular songs like “Just Got Wicked”, “She Said” and “Confessions.”

During “Witch,” Ward sang as the crowd intently looked up at the band, headbanging. He reached for the mic and grabbed fans’ hands as they energetically sang the lyrics.

To wrap up, the band played “Bleed”, the last song on their album. Ward came up to the mic to speak to the Song and Dance one last time. 

“We love you guys very much. Thank you for your support over the years. Everybody, sing it with me now,” Ward said.