PURITY RING: Lighting Up and Leaving the Chrysalis


Using the same elegant set – lights and drums that appear to make sounds and light up when hit, giant puffed-rice-ish lamps – that they’ve been hauling around for the past year or so, Purity Ring’s fairytale electro washed over a sold-out, all-ages crowd at the Vogue Theatre. Megan James’ voice – a baby Liz Fraser to match their Cocteau babble song titles – filled the full room, while partner Corin Roddick bore down behind his knobs and keyboards.

Speaking only once or twice, to announce the impending Souljaboy cover “Grammy”, and slinking around the stage to gently grasp reaching-out hands, James seems to be finally millimetering out of her shy chrysalis. It’s like watching the XX – the music sounds brilliant but there’s little warmth in the live show. In fact, poof! They burst out, then fly. No encore. After a set including, well, most of Shrines, they ended with “Fineshrines” then fluttered away.  House lights on, Purity Ring gone, and nothing but the memory of a lovely little one-album-long gig hanging in the room.  \m/

Purity Ring, pic by Mikala Taylor/backstagerider.com

Purity Ring, pic by Mikala Taylor/backstagerider.com


2 responses to “PURITY RING: Lighting Up and Leaving the Chrysalis”

  1. It’s quite interesting to see the songs done on stage, that’s for sure! They’re very reserved though…

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