The Faint played the Newport Music Hall in Columbus, Ohio on Sunday, August 4thbacked by two terrific openers. The first, Closeness, is a supergroup of sorts. It includes The Faint’s lead singer (Todd Fink) and Orenda Fink from Azure Ray. The married duo’s brand of dark synth-pop set the tone for the evening. Next was Ritual Howls, a trio out of Detroit. They delivered a highly visceral and industrial setlist, highlighted by Paul Bancell’s haunting vocals. You’d be tempted to compare Ritual Howls to artists like Joy Division or Echo and the Bunnymen, but they’re truly a sound of their own.
The Faint followed with a career-spanning setlist that found tracks from their new album fitting in perfectly with bangers from two decades ago. The show opened with “Quench the Flame”, one of the standouts from their new album Egowerk. Later, they thrashed through crowd favorites “The Geeks Were Right”, “Worked Up So Sexual”, and “The Conductor”. Throughout, the light show the glitchy, disconcerting nature of the music. Strobes pulsed to every song and the crowd danced right along, seemingly knowing every word. It was a post-punk type of evening at Newport on Sunday night and The Faint assured everyone that they’ve still got a lot to say.
The Faint
Closeness
Ritual Howls
By: Andrew Ameter | Exclusively for @Music, Why Not!
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