#emo's

  Live From Austin: 

SUNN O)))

  Big|Brave & Papa M. 

~Words & Photographs by Drew Nesbitt~

My initial exposure to the doom, stoner, sludge, and drone scene came back in 2016, when Sleep, Boris, and Sunn O))) were the showcase located at The Mohawk. It was a legendary set that didn’t hold my appreciation until far after I engrossed myself in the taste of these subgenres. I left that show feeling uncertain and relatively uncomfortable at the time, as my background and taste was based on technical, melodical, fast, or grind and slam or the like. It wasn’t until the moment that I met my future brother-in-law (who mentioned that he missed this very show during a conversation on our music tastes and was super bummed) that I was assigned to explore all that Sunn’s catalog had to offer.

Monoliths & Dimensions by SUNN O)))

I had given Monoliths a few playthroughs while driving through town to wash out the commotion of traffic and keep my nerves on track (something I quickly observed provided quite a relaxing atmosphere during a commute). I ended up buying the vinyl a week or so after that, just to drone out to and find new experiences through each listen, without any outside pressure or any specific task that required my full and complete attention. I was finding this one LP to be an incredibly effective form of therapy for a variety of different occurrences I was dealing with in life at the time, and it is currently one of my all-time most cherished possessions.

My little listening sessions went by over the next few weeks and months, when Life Metal was announced. I couldn’t be more elated at the idea of being able to add more material to my collection of personal therapy. Fresh, new frequencies that the world and I can experience together. Fuck me, man. Upon my first initial reaction, it was game on. That moment was as real as it gets. Every day -- in the truck, at work -- there was a fucking will and there was a way to get my ass to see them live again in my lifetime, with full presence, understanding, and utmost appreciation to make up for the last.

Life Metal by SUNN O)))

Months Later

Then came the announcement: September 2nd, 2019 -- Sunn O))) at Emo's Austin on East Riverside Drive in Austin, Texas.

You kidding me? Like fucking for real? *instant ticket purchase* After the weeks pass by, it’s game day. Could I get something out of this show that I had only heard about? That pure experience of saturation? That body high that I missed out on before? The full understanding and appreciation? These were just a few thoughts that I was getting increasingly anxious and excited over.

Accompanying me was my sister, brother-in law, his close friend, and some friends that I’ve accrued over the years within the local scene -- all there to share the night with me, something I would equate to one of the most incredible musical experiences of my life.

Open Doors, Setting

Upon doors open, there was a line at the merch stand that lengthed from the back of the venue all the way past the entry. This increased rapidly as more listeners poured in and stayed this way for a majority of the night. Would anyone take the chance at getting the Earthquaker collaboration Life Pedal?

There was a drape casted over the production backline about three quarters back into the venue, quartering the bar and merch sections that could obstruct the lighting production on the other side. This was a great call, as it kept the stage during Sunn’s set at a 100% fog-to-the-max presence. Something eerie, yet so right.

BIG|BRAVE

The initial stroke of the percussion provided an overbearing and booming thump for listeners to guide themselves with. Shortly, melodies and chords begin to introduce themselves.

A Gaze Among Them by B I G | B R A V E

Two minutes in, the crowd has begun to synchronize head bobbing and full attention is at the stage beyond the drapes. Big Brave's presence on stage was immaculate, with the drummer’s kit being the centerpiece and source of radiant light for vocalist/guitarist right and lead guitarist left.

The vocals came out as an element of desperation, with backing of climactic drones from the strings, and the ever-present primal build of the drums. Violent lashing out of chords, increasing build up, and absolute invention of release characterised the performance.

Introduced mid-set, the lead guitarist produced a string bow to create a hymn of ultimate expression to pair with the lingering and cast out vocals. The physical acquisition of feedback elements from the group’s stage gear was a large and reinforced part of the set, perfectly executed to provide elements of unexpected turns throughout each song.

PAPA M.

Lonesome man. Silhouette drawn and clear. Mysticism in darkness. Yet comforting and responsive to only his own answers.

Papa M.'s performance can be best described as a graceful walk through the essence of spiritual being. The arpeggios and progression of his set began with a sense of an individual on some path, destination unknown.

However, confident and unwavered by any objections represented by the synth effects halfway through, it was like being walked through a shaman’s vision with a rumbling purpose and a humble triumph at curtains.

After a quick break in the smoke pit to gather my thoughts, and group up with friends, I headed back in for the mainstay.

SUNN O)))

Reentry into the venue. Wall of fog. Tension, uncertainty, confusion, anxiety, disparity, withdrawal. Could this representation of what I was looking for be a true answer to what I couldn’t appreciate before?

The stage was represented with almost zero visibility and complete amnesty. The first chord is cast. Instantly the crowd is in unison. A physical sound that could not escape, but be completely consumed by the listener. Being in the back it was amazing to the effect it had on the listener. Observing that each individual was in grasp of this physical wave of sound -- a few of them lost in it, just like myself during my listening sessions.

Film by The Dead Texan

Getting my way up to the barricade was something I would compare to walking through a horde. Feeling the shake of the foundation kept me on my wits as I was weaving through the crowd. 30 minutes in, and I can see that Sunn has enveloped the entirety of the crowd with the most mesmerizing drone of sound that I can’t even begin to explain. Every individual just there listening, stricken, guided by frequencies.

After completing all of my busywork, I get directed by the venue cadre to deposit my belongings accordingly, then hustle back in to enjoy the set. At this point, I’ve found my sister and brother and just watch. Moments go by, colors change, omnipresence solidifies. I begin to find myself close to those listening sessions. Standing, and mentally outside of myself, I was hypnotized -- able to understand what I couldn’t before. Our bodies were only a tool to soak this physical form of saturation.

Sunn O))) live was the most insane and ultimate thing I had ever experienced in music. It was the most beautifully orchestrated masturbation of the best pieces of musical equipment I had ever witnessed. It was the first time I felt my entire body have a physical reaction to music.

Without doubt, this was the best form of therapy I’ve been a part of.

From Twitter:

@FrankIero absolutely killed it tonight! pic.twitter.com/nTCQco5K5L

— Neverender.Maddie♖ (@LokiMaddie) March 30th, 2019