Another Fine Night at Pine Street
Mario Perotti - August 23, 2003

Pine Street Bar and Grill -- With another venue in the East Bay going down (that being the Bourbon Street Bar and Grill a week or two ago), it is always reassuring to hit a venue (no matter what the opinion is) that thrives on a nightly basis with plenty of people attending a show. On August 23rd, 2003, the Pine Street Bar and Grill continued its normal trend, hosting a five band bill including Red Kor, Thr3efold, Fed Up, Ones and Zeros and Lavish Green which, when completed, was a very wide ranging show with plenty of offers. Moving from a jumpy sound to an accessible sound and weaving in and out until the grand finale of Lavish Green (and their super long set), the Pine Street saw a full five plus hour show. For the most part, the people were heavy in attendance, focusing on the stage itself mostly for the final three bands, but never thinning to anything less than the official "crowded" status.

What makes the Pine Street's continued success somewhat surprising is its ability to temper the twenty-one and over status by generally bringing in bands that cater to the older crowd, as was seen primarily for this show (with only a the second act, Thr3efold, sticking out like a sore thumb with their cool ultra aggressive sound). The Pine Street just continues to plough the field and bring quality shows in each weekend.

For the highlight reel on this one, plenty popped to the forefront with several bands making their first appearance on these reviewed pages as well as the chance to do a follow up on Lavish Green to see how they perform in a different setting and time slot. While only Thr3efold brought the massive metal style, the show still had a lot of heavy attached, keeping even the most hardened "true metal" fan entertained.

The second band to the stage was the Central Valley act Thr3efold who continue to hit stages and simply impress when they perform. Featuring three members (hence the tongue in cheek name) including the insanely talented bassist Jimbo, guitarist / vocalist Jason and drummer George, Thr3efold brings pure aggression and brutality to their sound, landing themselves smack in the middle of the metalcore landscape.

On stage, the band performed many of their live favorites including "Loser", "Jesus Freak", "Sick", "No One", "Glass", "Respect" and their ultra popular tune "Stick". Many of these tunes appear on the band's currently available five track EP that the band has released.

Straight away, three elements pop into focus when these guys hit the stage including Jimbo's immense talent, Jason's above average metal voice and their raw aggression. On the whole, these guys pump at the pure metal, but they do have a penchant to break down the song a bit and it is at these times that Jimbo all but takes over, finger tapping and busting through some seriously crazy bass lines. Jason's vocals are just a natural fit here, utilizing the healthy growl that marks the pent up style needed and the total brutal aggression presented in their sound. These guys are simply a very good Central Valley band that would fit well into any aggressive metal show, even if they were a bit out of place on this one. Definitely recommended for sure.