130. Regional Travel #3.1 - The Black Angels in Finland
The Black Angels are the greatest rock band in the modern psychedelic movement. Starting in 2004 and over the course of five albums and four EPs, they've simultaneously paid homage to some of the greatest music of the 1960s and 1970s (à la the Doors or the Velvet Underground) and brought the style into the 21st century. Other bands carried the torch during the genre's lean years of the 1980s and 1990s (The Brian Jonestown Massacre, notably), but the Black Angels are really the ones who kicked off the current wave of popularity of this style of music. Both through their own releases, as well as via the Austin Psych Fest music festival that they founded (re-branded as Levitation a few years ago) along with an affiliated record label (Reverberation Appreciation Society) that has released in the neighborhood of 33 albums, singles, and compilations from similar acts between 2010 and 2016.
In March or April, at about the time that it seemed like my job in St. Petersburg would come through, I was very excited to learn that the Black Angels had just set a bunch of dates in Europe to promote their new album. And I was even more excited to see that one of the dates was in Helsinki, what I knew to be a short train ride away from St. Petersburg. You'd better believe that I purchased my concert ticket before I even left the United States.
As far as I can remember, this was my seventh Black Angels concert. I've seen them in Denver, Colorado for New Year's shows on December 30 & 31, 2012; in Boulder, Colorado on May 10, 2013; and at the Austin Psych Fest / Levitation in Austin, Texas on April 28, 2013; May 02, 2014; and May 10, 2015. I thought it was a big deal in those years to fly from Colorado to Texas to see them (plus a bunch of other bands at the festival), but now I'm taking trains from Russia to Finland to catch their tour, so I think I've taken my fandom to new heights.
The show was at Tavastia Klubi, what is the oldest and apparently one of the best rock clubs in Helsinki. It is a relatively small venue, and I was front and center for the main event, more or less in the third row (no seats - the room is just an open empty space). The opening band was A Place to Bury Strangers. I can't recall if I've seen them at a festival before. They were fine, but a bit noisy for my tastes.
The Black Angels played a solid set that included approximately 15 songs in the main set and three in the encore. About half of what they played was from their new album (Death Song), a quarter from their debut (Passover), and the remainder from their other albums (Directions to See a Ghost, Phosphene Dream, and Indigo Meadow). Highlights for me were the opener (both of the show and of their latest album) - Currency - and Comanche Moon, which features some brutal drumming from Stephanie Bailey that they synced up with strobe lights and pretty much put me in the zone. What an awesome show!
I hung around after the concert and was able to chat with two members of the band. I had brief but enjoyable conversations with guitarists/vocalists Christian Bland and Jake Garcia. Both were surprised that an American had come to the Helsinki show, and all the way from Russia, at that.
In March or April, at about the time that it seemed like my job in St. Petersburg would come through, I was very excited to learn that the Black Angels had just set a bunch of dates in Europe to promote their new album. And I was even more excited to see that one of the dates was in Helsinki, what I knew to be a short train ride away from St. Petersburg. You'd better believe that I purchased my concert ticket before I even left the United States.
As far as I can remember, this was my seventh Black Angels concert. I've seen them in Denver, Colorado for New Year's shows on December 30 & 31, 2012; in Boulder, Colorado on May 10, 2013; and at the Austin Psych Fest / Levitation in Austin, Texas on April 28, 2013; May 02, 2014; and May 10, 2015. I thought it was a big deal in those years to fly from Colorado to Texas to see them (plus a bunch of other bands at the festival), but now I'm taking trains from Russia to Finland to catch their tour, so I think I've taken my fandom to new heights.
The show was at Tavastia Klubi, what is the oldest and apparently one of the best rock clubs in Helsinki. It is a relatively small venue, and I was front and center for the main event, more or less in the third row (no seats - the room is just an open empty space). The opening band was A Place to Bury Strangers. I can't recall if I've seen them at a festival before. They were fine, but a bit noisy for my tastes.
The Black Angels played a solid set that included approximately 15 songs in the main set and three in the encore. About half of what they played was from their new album (Death Song), a quarter from their debut (Passover), and the remainder from their other albums (Directions to See a Ghost, Phosphene Dream, and Indigo Meadow). Highlights for me were the opener (both of the show and of their latest album) - Currency - and Comanche Moon, which features some brutal drumming from Stephanie Bailey that they synced up with strobe lights and pretty much put me in the zone. What an awesome show!
I hung around after the concert and was able to chat with two members of the band. I had brief but enjoyable conversations with guitarists/vocalists Christian Bland and Jake Garcia. Both were surprised that an American had come to the Helsinki show, and all the way from Russia, at that.
Comments
Post a Comment