An awe-inspiring light show and stage production greeted the Los Angeles crowd last Saturday during Purity Ring’s performance at the Wiltern. The show, and tour as a whole, has been a celebration of their debut album, Shrines, 10th anniversary and the release of their new album ghosts. While their sound has added more and more pop-friendly sheen over the years, their aesthetic and lyrics have remained dark, gothic, and abstract.
The show on Saturday found the two competing styles at an equilibrium. The duo’s set was heavy on their 2020 album WOMB and their debut. Bone-warping synths and vocalist Megan James’s signature falsetto were paired with an ominous deck behind a screen for producer Corin Roddick, blue-dust lit up and shape shifting to every bass hit, stars lighting up the stage, a massive white gown, and much more. It was a visual feast and an unnerving, gorgeous compliment to the music.
The crowd seemed like a nice mix of new and old fans. For every roar for older hits like the plucky “Obedear” and the lush “push pull”, newer fans showed their love for tracks like the soaring “stardew”. The highlight of the show, though, came in a later portion that began with two covers. First, an unexpected Deftones cover that melded the legendary metal band’s style with theirs. That segued into a more expected, but no less fun, cover of “Better Off Alone” by Alice Deejay (which was actually properly released in 2020). Finally, in a stunning transition, the duo erupted into “Fineshrine”.
This is a tour that had been painfully (but understandably) postponed twice because of COVID, once in 2020 and once in 2021. As “Fineshrine”, a track that has transcended Purity Ring fans’ generational gap, pulsated from the Wiltern speakers, a rush of ecstasy washed over the crowd and it became clear this performance was worth the wait.
Review + Photos by Andrew Ameter | Exclusively for Music, Why Not!