After catching a few A Place to Bury Strangers‘ shows while they supported other bands, I was beyond stoked to hear their headlining show at Spaceland as they wrapped up their West coast tour on Saturday night. The sold-out show consisted mostly of guys who already purchased the latest EP vinyl I Lived My Life to Stand in the Shadow of Your Heart.
The front of the stage was aligned with many photographers who knew they would be challenged with the darkness, strobes and projectors. I love this kind of a challenge. While they were setting up, lead guitarist and singer Oliver Ackermann was directly in front of us, looked at us, smiled, eyes opening wide in that “oh, just-you-wait-kind-of-way.” Love it!
a-place-to-bury-strangers-in-your-heart.mp3
A Place to Bury Strangers – In Your Heart [MP3]
APTBS is hard to describe to people when they ask me what they sound like. It’s hard, loud, but beautiful in its own way. Think a much harder and faster My Bloody Valentine. You feel like you are riding in a racing car and cutting corners at 150 m.p.h. You feel like you will crash, but amazingly, you don’t. As much as I would want to hear this band live at least once a month, the ringing in my ears afterward (I wore ear plugs) tells me it’s probably not such a great idea (even though I wouldn’t be able to resist).
And yes, they are known for being loud – but a seemingly controlled loudness that takes you over and leaves you motionless. The combination of Ackermann’s vocals and madman skills on his effects pedal (he has his own company that have well-known customers such as the Edge), heavy bass by Dion Lunadon and the perfectly in rhythm drums by Jay Space is structured in a way that wants to be torn apart bit by bit.
I was in heaven listening to “In Your Heart,” “Don’t Think Lover,” “Ego Death,” and “Missing You.”
When Ackermann brings out the strobe at the end for “Ocean,” you know it’s time for the final destruction and chaos of moving the monitors and smashing of guitars. And chaos did ensue. After they left the stage, some of the guys came up to fully inspect the damage in awe.
More photos after the jump
