Purity Ring Plays A Sold-Out Show At The El Rey Theatre
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Purity Ring artists Megan James and Corin Roddick took time in between their two Coachella performances to play a sold-out show at the El Rey Theatre on Thursday night.
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In an eclectic room full of hipster-esque fans, the crowd chatted and lounged around as they waited for the acts to start performing. Most attendees were late 20-somethings who were looking for an easy night to put aside their responsibilities and awaken their inner 18-year-old selves.
Opening for Purity Ring was Canadian electronic indie group Blue Hawaii, who got the night rolling by starting out with some more mellow songs and then amping it up with hard electronic beats and piercing vocals. Vocalist Raphaelle Standell-Preston admitted she was nervous upon getting on stage, but her adorable demeanor won over the crowd as she belted out melancholic but warm tunes, with Blue Hawaii’s other half Alexander Cowan working the synthesizer.
A brief intermission ensued, the lights dimmed and Purity Ring finally came out on stage to an eager audience. James and Roddick started out with “Amenamy,” then continued with a slightly playful, more electronic rendition of “Crawlersout,” which got the crowd pumped up.
After several songs, Purity Ring played their most famous track “Lofticries” and the crowd went crazy, singing along to every word while swaying enthusiastically to the music. James held a glowing lantern that gave the whole performance an eerie feel that matched the tone of the song.
One of the awe-inspiring parts about the show was the theatrics onstage, as Purity Ring’s Roddick rigged up his music system to light up cocoon-like lanterns.
Purity Ring went on to play “Obedear,” “Grammy,” “Ungirthed” (James dropped her drumstick while singing and a fan eagerly returned it to her) and “Shuck.”
The duo finished with “Fineshrine,” during which singer James beat on a drum that seemed as if it were suspended mid-air. As the show came to the end, fans cheered loudly and danced to the lyrics “Get a little closer, let it fold, Cut open my sternum, and pull"—a verse that is easily analogous to James’ voice pulling the audience into the music.
Performing at the El Rey Theatre allowed Purity Ring to connect with their fans in an intimate setting; it was the perfect venue in that all the concertgoers were actually able to see the acts and not be buried among other people, the indoor, lounge-y feel allowed fans to just chill out and enjoy the music, the line at the bar was never too long and most importantly, James’s strong voice reverberated through the packed venue from the stage to the exit.
The only thing wrong with the show was its abrupt ending. As the audience repeatedly yelled “encore,” it would have been great to see the Canadian duo come back onstage for another song or at least stay in-house to interact with their enthusiastic fans. But besides that, Purity Ring put on a spectacular show that left the audience talking as they left the theatre.
Read more of NT's show reviews here.
