Article by Alex Arthur Photos by Matt Licari
As the breakout bands of 2025 played their final shows before fielding, “How’s that music thing going?” from Uncle Bob on Thanksgiving, I caught The Thing at Brooklyn Paramount – who released one of my favorite albums of the year.
I was first made aware of the New York City–based group after months of suggestions that The Thing should do The Thing Is..! and eventually (after watching two weeks of their sold-out residency at Nightclub 101 on the internet and getting FOMO), I got a ticket.
The guys walked out looking like they’d just stepped off The Ed Sullivan Show and then proceeded to sound like it too. Lead singer Zane has a vocal quality from God, and the sounds their instruments make when they play them make me want to know how to make those sounds too (groundbreaking music journalism, I know) and make me want to dance. I was left blown away and spent the next few weeks listening to all their albums and sending the songs to my music-mentor father who goes, “They’re good.” For the first time in history.
The Thing is composed of Jack Bradley (guitar), Michael Carter (guitar), Lucas Ebeling (drums) and frontman Zane Acord (vocals, bass) – an incredibly tight, energetic quartet who have been friends since their teens, which is a fact that is very much not lost on me.
The bands who unequivocally brought rock music back to a desolate New York City this year predominantly consist of members who grew up together. Which is something I like to think about. Being in a band is complicated. And monetizing a band in 2025 is really freaking complicated and maybe sometimes it comes down to yeah being good, but maybe also just not breaking up. And breaking up with Ted you met at freshman orientation is a hell of a lot harder than breaking up with Ted you met at 169 Bar.
But I digress. The Thing just wrapped up their Australian tour and is heading to Europe right after Thanksgiving until Christmas, then continues after the New Year to tour North America for three months. Go see them!! If the fire-code-violation-level-capacity album release show I went to in August is any sign of what’s to come, these guys will have an extremely exciting 2026 and 2036 as well…
30 11 Cologne, Germany, mtc_cologne
01 12 Amsterdam, Netherlands, @paradisoadam
03 12 Paris, France, @pointephemere with @pop_crimes_band
04 12 London, UK, @mothclub with @the_lotts_
07 12 Stockholm, Sweden, Bar Brooklyn @debasersthlm with @alphapetband @greatparkavenue
08 12 Helsinki, Finland, @ontherockshelsinki with @pleasantflow
10 12 Oslo, Norway, @himmel_oslo with @kjoterband
11 12 Copenhagen, Denmark, @rustkbh with @tiger_springer
12 12 Berlin, Germany, @quasimodoberlin with @go_mahhh @data.animal
13 12 Hamburg, Germany, @indra_musikclub with @poolheadband
15 12 Munich, Germany, @feierwerk_ with @spinnen_band
16 12 Vienna, Austria, @chelsea_vienna with @shutupclub
18 12 Zürich, Switzerland, Musikcafe with @templesolaire
19 12 Dublin, Ireland @thesoundhousedublin with @kippaxtheband