Tag: A Place to Bury Strangers live

A Place to Bury Strangers to release “Live at Levitation” on June 30, 2023.

Photo by Devon Bristol Shaw

New York City’s loudest band A Place to Bury Strangers have had their intense live performance captured and immortalized directly to 12” wax. The post-punk legends are the 9th & latest entry in the Live at Levitation archival vinyl series. Live at Levitation ends with “Have You Ever Been In Love?” – a brand new song from APTBS only available on this record, written and performed by the current lineup.

“Levitation 2021 was our second show as a new band and I felt so psyched to bring the new band members to such an epic festival. It was like a homecoming for me.  Bob Mustachio was doing lights and playing with Ringo Deathstarr, Kikagaku Moyo & the Black Angels all on the same bill had me so rev’d up and excited. I knew it had to be an epic show. I remember right when we started I was flailing around so much like a freak on speed that I almost flung my guitar off the stage. By the time we got out into the crowd I thought I was gonna pass out.  I remember we rented this PA speaker from Rock N Roll Rentals and for some reason they trusted us with this top of the line like $5000 12” monitor that we rolled around in the crowd while I was screaming at the top of my lungs. I love Levitation and Austin Psych Fest shows, they are always a UFO of a good time.” – Oliver Ackermann (APTBS)

LEVITATION and the LIVE AT LEVITATION Vinyl Series

The first Austin Psych Fest was held in March 2008, and expanded to a 3 day event the following year. The event quickly developed into an international destination for psychedelic rock fans, with lineups spanning the fringes of indie rock, from up-and-comers to vintage legends, and capped off with headline performances from co-founders The Black Angels, along with Tame Impala, The Flaming Lips, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Thee Oh Sees (in various forms) and many more. LEVITATION helped spark a movement, inspiring the creation of similar events across the globe and a burgeoning psych scene that would soon ignite. The series captures key moments in psychedelic rock history, and live music in Austin, Texas, pressed on beautiful limited edition colorful vinyl pressings – each an eye popping visual representation of the music contained within.

The artists and sets showcased on Live at LEVITATION have been chosen from over a decade of recordings at the world-renowned event, and document key artists in the scene performing for a crowd of their peers and fans who gather at LEVITATION annually from all over the world.

This 9th release follows Live at Levitation releases from Kikagaku Moyo, The Black Angels, Primal Scream, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Moon Duo, Psychic Ills, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and Thee Oh Sees. 

A Place to Bury Strangers – Live at LEVITATION is out in stores on Friday, June 30, 2023.

Get a taste of the LP with a live cut of “Let’s See Each Other” filmed at LEVITATION 2021. Watch and share below. 

“Let’s See Each Other”

Keep your mind open.

[Levitate over to the subscription box while you’re here.]

Live: A Place to Bury Strangers, Glove, and Ganser – May 30, 2022 – Empty Bottle – Chicago, IL

I went to the first of two shows A Place to Bury Strangers, Glove, and Ganser were playing at Chicago’s Empty Bottle beginning on the evening of Memorial Day. The holiday Monday night crowd was small, as many people were still returning home from the weekend or still gone on vacation, and due to every restaurant in the area being closed. I had to walk over twenty minutes to find an open Jimmy John’s.

Shame on you if you missed the show due to being hungover from a backyard barbecue or stuck at some family gathering full of drama and your bigoted uncle rating while he spilled mustard on his shirt. You missed a wild show.

Chicago’s own Ganser were first up, and they put on a solid set of post-punk that had influences of Joy Division and The Cure all through it. Their guitarist, Charlie Landsman, seems to play like he has no idea what he’s doing, but that’s kind of the point. My friend, Rafael (bass player for Chicago death metal band Asphyxiator), marveled at the sound Alicia Gaines got out of her bass throughout the whole set (“Her bass tone is really good!”).

Ganser

Glove were up next, and they reminded me of a heavier version of Ladytron. The throbbing synth beats mixed well with their post-punk guitars and krautrock vocals. Their set grew a bit darker as it went on, which was all right by me.

Glove fitting well on stage.

APTBS as always, came out and demolished the place. I wondered how loud it was going to be, as they’re one of the loudest bands out there and the Empty Bottle is a small venue. Sure enough, my feet were vibrating by the time they got to the heaviest version of “Oceans” I’ve heard them play.

Oliver Ackermann in his natural element – using a strobe light to play his guitar like its a washboard.

One of the best parts of APTBS‘ set was seeing how much fun they were having. Ackermann told me early in the evening that he was happy to be back out on the road and seeing everyone. He and his friends, the husband and wife duo of John and Sandra Fedowitz, were grinning through a lot of the set and having a blast as they melted faces and minds. You can always tell who is attending one of their shows for the first time because they always have the same “What the hell is happening?” look on their faces. I saw a lot of that.

A Place to Bury Strangers exploding heads in Chicago.

Go catch them if you can. You won’t regret it.

Keep your mind open.

[Thanks to Steven at Dedstrange for the press pass!]

A Place to Bury Strangers announces 2022 North American tour.

A Place To Bury Strangers announce a 2022 North American headline tour, and share the new video for single “In My Hive,” from their new EP, Hologram, out now on Dedstrange. The new dates follow a headline show at Bowery Ballroom in New York City on September 15th, a run with Future Islands, and a stop at Levitation Festival in Austin, TX. Tickets for 2022 are on-sale here.

The “In My Hive” video, directed by and starring Manon Aulon Elphick, Niicolé and Dedstrange labelmates Data Animal, is a ghoulish grindhouse tale of revenge served raw. Filmed in gritty wide-angle closeups, this claustrophobic tale of murder, magic, and mayhem is a gothic five-finger-filet deathmatch for the senses. Preparing for a fight, pondering the potential in the sharpness of a knife, glazed over eyes, molten metal poured into the mouths of to-be zombie bandmates, overwhelming flashing lights, all seen through a close-up psychedelic lense.

“‘In My Hive’ is about how I’ve let myself get taken advantage of by other people because I just didn’t care at the time, but it definitely has come back to haunt me,” says A Place To Bury Strangers’ Oliver Ackermann. “It can be tiring to deal with these emotions but it’s best to think about what is going on and work through it.”
Watch:
“In My Hive” video
“I Might Have” video
“End Of The Night” video

Stream/Purchase Hologram EP

Tour Dates:
Wed. September 15 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom $
Mon. October 11 – New Orleans, LA @ Civic Theatre *
Tue. October 12 – Atlanta, GA @ Buckhead Theatre *
Wed. October 13 – Raleigh, NC @ Ritz *
Thur. October 14 – Washington, DC @ Anthem *
Fri. October 29 – Austin, TX @ Levitation Festival
Tue. February 1 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s #
Wed. February 2 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz #Fri. February 4 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace #
Sat. February 5 – Detroit, MI @ El Club #
Sun. February 6 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
Mon. February 7 – Milwaukee, WI @ Cactus Club #
Tue. February 8 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Ave. 7th Street Entry #
Fri. February 11 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos %
Sat. February 12 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios %Sun. February 13 – Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre %
Tue. February 15 – San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel %
Wed. February 16 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom %
Fri. February 18 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar %
Sat. February 19 – Tucson, AZ @ Hotel Congress %
Tue. February 22 – Denver, CO @  Larimer Lounge %
Wed. February 23 – Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck %
Fri. February 25 – Nashville, TN @ The High Watt %
Wed. March 9 – Hamburg, DE @ HafenklangThu. March 10 – Dresden, DE @ Beatpol
Fri. March 11 – Warsaw, PL @ Klub Poglos
Sat. March 12 – Prague, CZ @ Futurum
Sun. March 13 – Bratislava, SK @ Randal Club
Mon. March 14 – Budapest, HU @ Durer Kert
Wed. March 16 – Bucharest, RO @ Control Club
Thu. March 17 – Sofia, BG @ Mixtape5
Fri. March 18 – Thessaloniki, GR @ Eightball
Sat. March 19 – Athens, GR @ Temple
Mon. March 21 – Skopje, MK @ 25th of May Hall
Tue. March 22 – Belgrade, RS @ Club Drugstore
Thu. March 24 –  Zagreb, HR @ Mochvara
Fri. March 25 – Bologna, IT @ Freakout Club
Sat. March 26 – Rome, IT @ Largo
Sun. March 27 – Milan, IT @ Legend Club
Tue. March 29 – Zurich, CH @ Bogen F
Wed. March 30 – Munich, DE @ Backstage
Thu. March 31 – Martigny, CH @ Caves Du MemoirFri. April 1 – Paris, FR @ La Trabendo
Sat. April 2 – London, UK @ Lafayette
Mon. April 4 – Antwerp, BE @ Kavka
Tue. April 5 – Munster, DE @ Gleis 22
Wed. April 6 – Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg
Thu. April 7 – Groningen, NL @ Vera
Sat. April 9 – Stockholm, SE @ Hus 7Sun. April 10 – Oslo, NO @ John Dee
Mon. April 11 – Copenhagen, DK @ Pumpehuset
Tue. April 12 – Berlin, DE @ Hole 44
Wed. April 13 – Cologne, DE @ MTC

* with Future Islands
$ with Maxband & Wah Together
# with Glove
% with TV Priest

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe before you go.]

[Thanks to Patrick at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Levitation Austin 2019 recap – Day Four

We began our fourth and final day of Levitation Austin 2019 by attending the downtown record show at the Palmer Event Center. The show was a gold mine for vinyl record collectors. I managed to score three CD’s there – a live Goblin bootleg of a show from 1975, a copy of Husker Du‘s Zen Arcade, and a copy of Duran Duran‘s Arena (the cassette of which I wore out years ago).

We had a nice dinner at one of our yearly stops – Daruma Ramen – and then headed back to Barracuda for the Death by Audio showcase. This was one of the first tickets I bought for the festival when I saw one of my favorite bands, A Place to Bury Strangers, was playing along with The KVB, who I’ve wanted to see live for a while now. APTBS were selling earplugs at their merchandise table for $2.00 a pair. I had brought my own, but in case you’ve never seen them before, this is $2.00 well spent. Trust me on this. First up for us at the DBA showcase was Numb.er, who put on a cool set of shoegaze noise.

Up next, and outside were The KVB, who were excited to finally be playing in Austin and to a welcoming crowd. They sounded great and showed how much evocative music two people can make with the right chemistry, guitar pedals, and synth / drum machine set-up.

We went back inside to catch most of the set by Austin’s own Ringo Deathstarr. They played a mix of new (some played for the first time that night) and older material and filled the inside stage area with fuzzy rock.

I then went back outside for APTBS’ set. My wife stayed inside to wait for Christian Bland and the Revelators and to avoid the sonic assault provided by an APTBS show. This isn’t a crack on my wife. Not everyone can handle their shows. I’ve seen metal heads, screamo fanatics, and hardcore goths wither under their power. Sure enough, they unleashed fury on the outdoor stage, with Oliver Ackermann’s guitar and Dion Lunadon’s bass both being hammered onto the stage within two songs (and multiple times thereafter).

APTBS with members of Ringo Deathstarr and Cryogeyser

Every band from the Death By Audio showcase came out to play with them during the set, which included members of Cryogeyser, the KVB, Numb.er, and Ringo Deathstarr. Their was so much fog machine fog rolling off the stage at one point that the band, bathed in strobe lights as well, took on the appearance of ghosts. I was near the front of the stage and facing Dion Lunadon for most of the set and he went through two bass guitars, and all of the strings on the second were broken by the end. In other words, it was another great APTBS show and a great finish to the festival.

Christian Bland and the Revelators, meanwhile, were putting on a cool show of early Pink Floyd-influenced blues-psych inside Barracuda, and it was a nice way to send our latest Levitation Austin Festival out on a groovy note with one of its curators.

Christian Bland (left) and the Revelators

Levitation weekend is one of my favorite weekends of the year. It’s always a good time, the crowds are always cool (I’ve yet to have run-ins with jerks at the festival.), and the music (and food) is always great. Thanks again to the Reverb Appreciation Society for making it happen. See you next year, Austin.

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe.]

A Place to Bury Strangers release new single, “Too Tough to Kill,” and U.S. summer tour dates.

A Place To Bury Strangers Share “Too Tough To Kill” Video
Watch Here

North American Headline Tour Begins This Week

Pinned Out Now On Dead Oceans

[still from “Too Tough To Kill” video]
A Place To Bury Strangers are sharing a video for new single “Too Tough To Kill” from their recently released album, Pinned. The director Colin Marchon says, “The project is a kind of America-sploitation video in response to the frustratingly stagnant state of the country. The song felt like the perfect context to speak to that. Technically speaking I don’t really consider myself an animator. It just feels really fun and cathartic to cut up images that speak to me or make me laugh and play with them in front of a camera. The editing is a little more complicated but as a full time commercial filmmaker the medium is just a very easy outlet to let out my subconscious after work.”
Watch A Place To Bury Strangers’ “Too Tough To Kill” Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jjc6-ALiRb4
 
For well over a decade now, A Place to Bury Strangers— Oliver Ackermann, Dion Lunadon, and, officially, drummer Lia Simone Braswell—have become well known for their unwavering commitment to unpredictable, often bewildering live shows, and total, some might say dangerous volume. They don’t write set ists. They frequently write new songs mid-set. They deliberately provoke and sabotage sound people in a variety of cruel yet innovative ways. They can and will always surprise you.

Pinned, the band’s fifth full-length, finds A Place To Bury Strangers converting difficult moments into some of their most urgent work to date. It’s their first since the 2016 election, and their first since the 2014 closing of Death By Audio, the beloved Brooklyn DIY space where Ackerman lived, worked, and created with complete freedom. It’s a clear and honest statement of intent, not just for everything that follows, but for this band as a whole.

A Place To Bury Strangers will tour in support of Pinned beginning this week. A full list of dates is below.

Watch:
“Too Tough To Kill” video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jjc6-ALiRb4
“Frustrated Operator” video – https://youtu.be/FMY04c8yrZE
“There’s Only One Of Us” video – https://youtu.be/ZkRebfgTLNc
“Never Coming Back” video – https://youtu.be/rij8qYpT1S0  
A Place To Bury Strangers Tour Dates:
5/24/18 Washington, DC – DC9 w/ Prettiest Eyes & Buck Gooter (tickets)
5/25/18 Baltimore, MD – Metro Gallery w/ Prettiest Eyes & Thrushes (tickets)
5/26/18 Raleigh, NC – Kings Barcade w/ Prettiest Eyes & Lacy Jags (tickets)
5/27/18 Asheville, NC – The Mothlight w/ Prettiest Eyes & Lacy Jags (tickets)
5/28/18 Atlanta, GA – The Earl w/ Prettiest Eyes & Nest Egg (tickets)
5/30/18 New Orleans, LA – Gasa Gasa w/ Prettiest Eyes & Trashlight (tickets)
5/31/18 Houston, TX – The Secret Group w/ Prettiest Eyes  & Narcons (tickets)
6/01/18 Austin, TX – Barracuda w/ Prettiest Eyes & Xetas (tickets)
6/02/18 Dallas, TX – Club Dada w/ Prettiest Eyes & Dendrons (tickets)
6/03/18 San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger w/ Prettiest Eyes & My Education (tickets)
6/05/18 Santa Fe, NM – Meow Wolf w/ Prettiest Eyes & Heather Trost (tickets)
6/06/18 Phoenix, AZ – Valley Bar w/ Sextile & Strange Lot (tickets)
6/07/18 San Diego, CA – The Casbah w/ Sextile & Keepers (tickets)
6/09/18 Los Angeles, CA – The Regent w/ Sextile & Prettiest Eyes (tickets)
6/10/18 San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall w/ Sextile & Prettiest Eyes (tickets)
6/12/18 Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios w/ Sextile & Tender Age (tickets)
6/13/18 Vancouver, BC – Fox Cabaret w/ Sextile & Dopey’s Robe (tickets)
6/14/18 Seattle, WA – The Crocodile w/ Sextile & Haunted Horses (tickets)

10/12/18-10/14/18 – Joshua Tree, CA @ Desert Daze (tickets)

Pinned artwork
Keep your mind open.
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Top live shows of 2017: #’s 30 – 26

I’ve arrived at the end of my live music year for 2017.  I saw over 60 performances this year, and the majority of them were a fun time.  There were some that might’ve had lame crowds or that just didn’t thrill me, of course, but 2017 was good for live music.  To save time (and my sanity and your patience), I’m counting the top 30 live shows I saw this year.  Here are the first five.

#30 – A Place to Bury Strangers – Thalia Hall – Chicago, IL May 11th.

I’ll see APTBS at any opportunity, and seeing this set where they opened for the Black Angels was a no-brainer for me.  It was also the first time they played Thalia Hall, and they sounded great in there.  I was lucky enough to chat with front man Oliver Ackermann before and after (along with the rest of the band – Dion Lunadon and Lia Braswell) the set, so that made the show extra special.

#29 – Joe Walsh – Scottrade Center – St. Louis, MO May 12th.

Joe Walsh had a fun time opening for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.  He joked with the sold-out crowd, played every hit you’d want to hear at one of his gigs, and had a huge, excellent backing band.  He also showed that he could still shred on guitar, and his performance of “Take It to the Limit” brought my wife to tears.

#28 – Bebel Gilberto – City Winery – Chicago, IL December 20th.

The last show I saw this year turned out to be a delightful night with bossa nova legend Bebel Gilberto.  It was a lovely set in an intimate venue.  Everyone needs to see Ms. Gilberto at least once, and hear her often.

#27 – Bleached – House of Blues – Chicago, IL April 23rd.

If you’re in a band, I wish you could’ve seen Bleached with me twice within six months because you’d have seen a perfect example of how to step up your game.  This show, which had them opening for the Damned, was the second time I’d seen them in that time period.  The first was at a gig in Cleveland in October 2016.  I thought they were good then, but this performance left me gobsmacked.  They’d become tighter and stronger in just half a year.  It had been at least a couple years since I saw so much improvement in one band.

#26 – Partner – Schuba’s – Chicago, IL January 22nd.

This was Partner‘s first gig in Chicago, and one of their first in the United States.  Shame on you if you missed it, because they are now indie rock darlings and their debut album, In Search of Lost Time, is one of the best of 2017.  This show was an absolute home run and wowed everyone there.

Stay tuned for #’s 25 – 21!

Keep your mind open.

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Live – The Black Angels and A Place to Bury Strangers – Chicago, IL – May 11, 2017

I will see The Black Angels or A Place to Bury Strangers at any opportunity, so having them both on the same bill is a win-win and a must-see for me.  Seeing them in Chicago’s Thalia Hall was an added bonus because the acoustics there are outstanding and there isn’t a bad place to stand or sit in the joint.

A Place to Bury Strangers were prompt, starting the show at 9:00pm sharp (which seems to be a trend in Chicago venues as of late).  They came out as they always do – loud and heavy.  They opened with “We’ve Come So Far” from Transfixiation and it was off to the races.  The addition of Lia Braswell on drums is a great one, as she practically beat her kit into the floor.  Her backing vocals bring a new dimension to many APTBS tracks, and I hope this trend continues on some new material.  Guitarist and lead singer Oliver Ackermann was on fire for their whole set.

Every APTBS show looks like a scene from a John Carpenter film.

They ended their set with a wild sequencer / synth / bass / light show that I’d seen them do before in Detroit.  They moved into the crowd and were soon casting laser lights and weird, warping synths beats and Dion Lunadon’s growling bass licks throughout the whole hall.

APTBS blowing minds and retinas in Thalia Hall.

As if that weren’t trippy enough, the Black Angels started their set with this image.

Do I detect a nod to Devo here?

“Take your acid now,” said a friend of mine upon seeing this.  The Black Angels opened up with “Currency,” the first single off their new album – Death Song (review coming soon).  “Bad Vibrations” (always a favorite) followed, and it again wowed the crowd.

The Black Angels dropping “Currency” from their new album.

This was the sixth time I’ve seen the Black Angels (and the third I’ve seen APTBS), and this might’ve been the heaviest set I’ve seen by them.  My wife (who’s seen them five of the six times with me) noticed this, too.  The version of “You On the Run” they played was certainly the heaviest I’d heard.  It bordered on stoner metal.  Christian Bland’s guitar seemed cranked to 11 in terms of volume and distortion for the entire show.  Stephanie Bailey further cemented her prowess as one of the best rock drummers of our time.  I say this every time I see the Black Angels live: Stephanie Bailey is their secret weapon.  I later realized this was the first show I’d seen in a while in which both bands had powerful drummers.

The Black Angels getting heavy.

They played many tracks from the new record.  “Half Believing,” “Comanche Moon,” “I Dreamt,” “Medicine,” “Grab As Much As You Can,” and “Death March” all sounded great.  They closed with “Young Men Dead,” which made one man behind me so happy that he rushed ahead of me to head-bang and share his one-hitter with the strangers to his left and right.

The Black Angels performing “Young Men Dead” during their encore.

This made six good shows in a row from the Black Angels and three straight for APTBS in my experience.  This tour is selling out across the country, so you’d better get your tickets soon if you want to catch it.  I also must give a salute to the two men who make up the Mustachio Light Show.  They provided all the wild and stunning visuals during the Black Angels’ set.  It’s a great addition to this tour.

Thanks to Oliver Ackermann, Steven Matrick, and Burgers Rana for getting me a press pass to this show.  I’ll have an interview with Oliver Ackermann posted soon as well.

Keep your mind open.

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