More Details on Mic Todd's Walgreens Robbery

More has emerged from Coheed and Cambria bassist Mic Todd's robbery of Walgreens. You can read the details on Rolling Stone's blog here.

What sticks out here is that Todd's opioid withdrawal and the consequential lack of an available prescription could have felt as if he was in a deathly circumstance, as referenced by Dr. Dan Alford from the Boston University School of Medicine.

EDIT: This article was edited at 12:23 a.m. on July 13 to correct the effects of opioid withdrawal.

Coheed and Cambria bassist admits to robbing Walgreens

Mic Todd, bassist for progressive rockers Coheed and Cambria, admitted in Attleboro District Court today that he robbed a pharmacy for painkillers on Sunday.


The Sun Chronicle, Attleboro's daily newspaper, reported that Michael R. Todd confirmed his robbery of an Attleboro Walgreens after he saw footage and photographs from surveillance cameras identifying him as the culprit. Attleboro District Court records show he is charged with armed robbery and possession of a controlled substance.


Todd was arrested Sunday for allegedly robbing the pharmacy for OxyContin painkillers just hours before the band performed in Mansfield, Mass., with Soundgarden.


Police said that Todd, 30, showed a note to pharmacists in Attleboro, Mass., claiming he was hiding a bomb underneath his clothes and demanded six bottles of the painkillers. 


Todd's defense attorney, Sandra Ferreira, said that the prosecution may not be able to prove armed robbery, because Todd never brandished an actual weapon.


Todd then took a cab to the Comcast Center in Mansfield, where Coheed and Cambria was supposed to open for Soundgarden. He was arrested before the show, after the cab was identified via surveillance footage.


Co&Ca frontman Claudio Sanchez has stated on the band's Facebook page that the band will continue to play the remainder of the tour, and that Todd would be replaced by studio band member Wes Styles, who also plays keyboards for the band.


“We are surprised to say the least and will address the situation with Michael after the tour,” the Facebook posting said.


This is by no means Todd's first run-in with illicit substances, however. During the European leg of touring for Good Apollo, Vol. 1 in 2006, he left the band for rehab due to heroin addiction.


What do you think of Mic Todd's arrest? Comment below.

Coheed and Cambria - "Bull Moose Sessions" Tape

4.4/10

The question is easier said than answered: How do you take an emo-punk-etc. band's hardcore sound and soften it up for some easy listening? And while New York's Coheed and Cambria can do this very, very well (just listen to the "Junesong Provision" demo), it's increasingly difficult when the bootleg "Bull Moose Sessions" is a handful of repetition that most of the band's fans would likely roll their eyes at.

The acoustic tapes are a set the band performed at Bull Moose, an entertainment store in Scarborough, Maine. And while the exuded effort is an enjoyable one from lead singer/guitarist Claudio Sanchez and company, the result is unvaried.

Three tracks off their new release, Year of the Black Rainbow, are included, as well as an acoustic version of the crowd-pleasing "Welcome Home."

The acoustic "Here We Are Juggernaut" is a far break from the bleeding-heavy original. Heavy sustains and booming drums are replaced with whimsical piano and the incense-and-flowers-oh-girl side of Sanchez's vocals. And yet, they surprisingly fit the music's passion just as well as the brooding master track. So, a tangible copy of the spin-off is a must for anyone that considers themselves Children of the Fence.

But alas, new ground isn't exactly being broken here. The derivatives of ballads "Far" and "Pearl of the Stars" sound like soft matches to their studio-produced counterparts. Not to mention "Welcome Home" has not only been overplayed, but overproduced as an acoustic copy. One only needs to listen to the Kerrang! radio tape to make sense of this. Not to mention that the production is shoddy at best. Distortion, fades in and out in volume consistency, and too-loud audience members really make the last track a downer.

But it's not as if the band were feigning ambition. These versions were available on YouTube for about two weeks before Black Rainbow was actually released, and ultimately stirred up interest for the studio album. In the end, it seems like a live record where, in the most Bohemian of rock 'n' roll clichés, you really had to see them for yourself.