We Need to Talk About What Happened at Newburgh Brewing Company

I'm not sure if I'll ever get over what happened last night at Newburgh Brewing Company, so let me get a few things off my chest.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I woke up yesterday morning. I knew in theory what was going to happen, but nothing could prepare me for what actually went down.

Newburgh Brewing Company was packed on Thursday March 13 for WRRV Sessions with Coheed and Cambria (TSM Poughkeepsie)

WRRV Sessions at Newburgh Brewing Company

WRRV Sessions are free shows we host with our friends at Newburgh Brewing Company. It's also made possible by Devitt's Nursery and Supply, SUNY Orange Plus, and Healey Brothers. This month's performance, however, was different from the rest.

Coheed and Cambria, a band that got its start in the Hudson Valley, made their triumphant return to WRRV Sessions on Thursday March 13 (TSM Poughkeepsie)

Coheed and Cambria Play WRRV Sessions

Coheed and Cambria, one of my favorite bands of all time (and hands-down one of the biggest musical success stories to come out of the Hudson Valley), were generous enough to perform just one day before the release of their new album, The Father of Make Believe. I wasn't sure if I would be able to handle it.

Coheed and Cambria with the WRRV crew while I (far right) tried to keep my sh*t together (TSM Poughkeepsie)

Coheed and Cambria's Hudson Valley Ties

I've been a fan of Coheed since their 2002 debut, The Second Stage Turbine Blade, and my love of the group was only amplified by random encounters with the band in high school and college.

The crowd knew every word to every song when Coheed and Cambria played WRRV Sessions (TSM Poughkeepsie)

First, my friend and I randomly ran into the entire band in the Ramada Inn parking lot in Kingston, NY in 2005. Then, a part-time job saw me alone in a mosh pit at Hammerstein Ballroom in 2006 as they sound-checked their epic song Welcome Home. 20 years later, I was still star-struck.

Interviewing the band felt like a blur. I'm still not sure what we talked about (TSM Poughkeepsie)

This is all to say that I was a bag of nerves as I made my way over to the brewery on Thursday. Not only was Coheed and Cambria performing for WRRV Sessions, it was going to be my job to interview the band I had followed for more than 20 years (above).

The band also took time to meet with WRRV listeners (TSM Poughkeepsie)

They say to never meet your heroes, but I can't remember ever meeting more personable world-famous musicians in my life. Claudio, Josh, Travis, and Zach were exactly what the rumors said: a group of kind, gracious, and supremely talented guys.

Coheed and Cambria kept the energy up even after the show was over (TSM Poughkeepsie)

Having a dream actually come true is never how you imagine it. My biggest hurdle ended up not being nerves, but trying to make sure I could convey exactly how much the band meant to me and the entire Hudson Valley. Who knows if I succeeded, but that's okay.

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These photos do a decent job showing the support Coheed and Cambria has from the Hudson Valley, but what you might not see is the energy that the band gave back to the crowd. I couldn't be prouder to have been a small part of the reason they came back to play in the Hudson Valley for their friends, family, and fans.