Hot off a new release date drop, Spafford visited the American Furniture District, located in the center of the Piedmont Triad in North Carolina. They played at CoHab Space, which is a new eclectic outside venue in High Point, NC that operates with the well known Tar Heel state promoter, Ziggy's. The venue included local artist art, sculptures and woodwork on debut throughout the surrounding beautiful brick buildings that are beside an active train line. Patrons and fans could walk through the beautiful sculptures placed throughout the grounds, both before the show and during set break. It was the perfect venue to welcome the beautiful spring weather with Spafford.
Spafford literally brought the heat to CoHab space in High Point, North Carolina. The beautiful warm day and nice breeze had everyone in a very jovial mood. Before the show, the crew were playing around in the green room, which was an inspiring and refined environment. Teeming with hippy and psychedelic vibes, the green room comprised an old school bus with all the seats removed. Vintage couches and furniture were installed inside, which gave the band a very relaxing and chill habitat while not on stage.
The band has two new band members, Shon Gordon (bass/vocals) and Cory Schectman (keys). They seem to exquisitely unite together on and off stage along with the two original band members, Brian Moss (guitar/vocals) and Nick Thachyk (drums/vocals). For example, Shon, the new bass player, jokingly hid and jumped out to scare Nick as he exited the bus. These musicians are so in tune with each other that a single note, look or vibe communicates that intent and purpose on stage.
Spafford opened with a majestic, twenty-six-minute, twangy version of ‘Hollywood’ that beautifully transitioned into their well-known, astonishing improvisational ability and off-the-cuff extended jams. This opener was the perfect fit to bring the crowd immediately to their feet and dancing.
'Hollywood' eventually cascaded into a beautiful melodic tune before coming back into another twangy southern jam. The crowd and band were so in tune together from the moment they came onstage that the band was immediately able to find their groove. As the trains came, they added more magic to the jam by blowing a couple of toots, which caused the crowd to explode. 'Fake the Fate' and 'Darkness Singularity' followed, as the darkness came over us and the sun set. Overall, the energy was high and the jams were smooth in what proved to be a stellar three song set.
The set break gave fans the opportunity to go see all the beautiful sculptures, furniture, art and food. They were able to sit in the beautiful open outside atmosphere which included sculptures built as fire pits, along with seats and places to relax as the band took a much needed break.
Spafford’s magic was truly untouchable, even for a Thursday night. The energy from the first set spilled through the audience's veins as they craved the start of the second set. No one cared about having to work the next day, as everyone was waiting for more energy to be served. And Spafford did not disappoint. Before the band returned to the stage, Chuck Johnson took the mic and attempted to fill everyone's cup by reading a beautiful poem called ‘Lady Luck.’
The band reappeared on the stage for the second set, and were immediately back in the swing with 'Chuck's Dream' by Lady Luck. This was followed by more head with 'Night After Night.' The song had an amazing beat where the guys came together so well. Cory’s keys were untouchable as well. Each member tuned in more and more to the rest of the band, and which fostered the magic on stage. The crowd looked like a sea of people dancing in waves within this beautifully built artistic village surrounded by the light show filled brick buildings.
The quartet then found their way into a melodic 'Windmill', which eventually flowed into an outstanding 'Galisteo Way.' After some banter with the crowd, they left the stage momentarily. The crowd continuously cheered for them to come back on stage for an encore. They ultimately finished the night with 'I Wouldn’t Want To Be Like You' by the Alan Parsons Project. As the show was ending, another train auspiciously traveled by the venue. It's final horn blows ended the night, which induced many high fives and smiles amongst the crowd.
Spafford's tour has ended, but they are back in action starting June 12, 2025 in Allentown, PA at Archer Music Hall. Tickets are available via this link. This followed by a performance at Le Poisson Rouge in New York, NY on June 13, 2035. Head on over to their tour page for more tasty summer dates.
Ziggy's and Cohab.Space have a lot of great shows in store as well, including Big Something on May 2nd and Umphrey's McGee on May 25th. Visit their page for more details on their exciting upcoming show ledger.
Check out more photos from the show!
Band: Spafford
Date: 4/17/2025
Venue: Cohab.Space
Location: High Point, NC
Set One: Hollywood > Fake The Fate > Darkness Singularity
Set Two: Chuck's Dream [ 1 ], Night After Night, Windmill > Galisteo Way
Encore: I Wouldn't Want To Be Like You [ 2 ]
Notes:
[ 1 ]: Lady Look
[ 2 ]: The Alan Parsons Project
