A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS
@ LARIMER LOUNGE, DENVER (CO)
MAY 26, 2022
At their sold-out performance at Denverβs outstanding Larimer Lounge, A Place to Bury Strangers (APTBS) sounded even more primal than their studio recordings. The X factor in this equation was drummer Sandra Fedowitz, who is more responsible for the subtleties housed in last yearβs excellent Hologram EP and their new/best album See Through You than she is credited. Much of this has to do with the negative space created by limiting her drum setup to the absolute minimum. Live, her propulsive rhythms blurred into the processed frequencies reverberating from bassist John Fedowitzβs rig and Oliver Ackermannβs six-string occultism.
The noise was literally breathtaking; the pulverizing decibels of βDragged in a Holeβ felt like an enveloping cocoon. For the next hour, APTBS created a safe space to psychically get lost that felt physically safe, too. People danced and had a good time without being dickheads. As βDraggedβ spun out into a feedback crash, Ackermann dangled his guitar above the front row to play the ending with their hands.
Since its inception in 2003, the Brooklyn bandβs concerts have been highlighted for their chaos, danger, and unpredictability. The danger on this night was how far into the void APTBS would take the music and how far the audience would (or wouldnβt) follow. Songs like βMy Head Is Bleeding,β βHold on Tight,β and βSo Lowβ deviated from their familiar recorded structures, segueing into one another like a continuous DJ set. It was akin to watching three highly experienced chainsaw jugglers from a safe distance.
SEE THROUGH YOU ALBUM REVIEW
Real distance, however, was systematically bridged by the band. When APTBS called this tour #LetsSeeEachOther, they meant it. Ackermann moved his microphone in βDrill It Upβ to be closer to the audience beside stage right. Later, with hardly anyone noticing, lighting and stage technician Nick Kulp (of Lunacy, APTBSβs supporting act in Europe earlier this year) set up the band on the floor to play in the crowd.
Back onstage, the shoutalong chorus of βLetβs See Each Otherβ received enthusiastic audience participation. During βI Lived My Life to Stand in the Shadow of Your Heart,β Ackermann used a floor strobe to alternately manipulate and visually respond to his guitar (held aloft by Sandra Fedowitz, still keeping time on the kick drum). He then hoisted up and rotated his amp for some aerial feedback. There was no encore, but anyone who ventured to the Larimerβs outdoor area behind the stage was greeted by the band and crew, truly lovely people.
Opening the show was Denverβs Polly Urethane, compelling in her fourth show ever. Along with her impressive vocal range, arty inspirations like Diamanda GalΓ‘s and modernist composer Igor Stravinsky distinguished the set of electrauma and industrial pop. Performing with collaborator/producer Rusty Steve on guitar and synths, the confrontational βSewage Bath Diaryβ single was especially catchy.
ArtistΒ Links
Main Photo Credit: Charles T. Stokes
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS – SEE THROUGH YOU
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS – HOLOGRAM
SPILL TRACK OF THE WEEK: A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS – “END OF THE NIGHT”
