Purity Ring made the Roxian Theatre a place of their own, bringing their mesmerizing tour into Pittsburgh. The electronic duo, known for building sonic dreamscapes, turned the Roxian into an audiovisual masterpiece.
Opening the night, and pulling double duty, was Megan James. You may know her as the vocalist for Purity Ring, hence the “double duty” comment. Her set was short, simple, and personal. It felt like your friend brought their guitar to a house party and played a couple of songs, except this friend actually had talent. It was a nice, peaceful way to start the evening after working and then fighting city traffic to get to the venue. I’m not used to being relaxed at a show. I need more of this.
I’ve seen a lot of chatter on Reddit about the masks. Here is my take on the situation:
- They are completely optional and you’re given a free one at the door. It’s also branded, so free merch!
- I wore one the entire time, except for when I was taking a drink, and I didn’t die. I’m not the poster child for physical fitness either. If I can breathe, so can you.
- You can suck it up for a couple hours and respect the artist’s wishes and frankly, just be a decent human. You don’t know how many people miss out on public events because they’re immunocompromised.
- Stop making everything political and divisive and just be better. Thank you and good day.
After a short break, Purity Ring took the stage. What stood out most to me was how completely they committed to world-building, both sonically and visually. Their music already creates an otherworldly atmosphere on its own, with huge synths, distorted percussion, and delicate vocals that somehow feel both comforting and haunting, but the visuals elevated everything into something almost cinematic and game-like. I kept getting PlayStation vibes from their set. Weird? Maybe. I can’t exactly tell you why, but it’s there. Was the startup sound buried deep in their tracks? Were the visuals warping into semi-pixelated art? I don’t know. I was lost in it and sometimes forgot to take pictures. You had one job, Nate.
The spinning holographic elements throughout the set were incredible. They hovered and shifted around Megan and Corin Roddick in time with the music, some even triggered by Corin’s pads. The way they moved through the haze and flashing lights made the entire stage feel alive, like the visuals were reacting to the music instead of simply accompanying it. A lot of this happened in real time with the help of infrared security cameras placed around the stage. This is the future of world-building. Everybody take notes. Step into your visuals, not just in front of them.
Before we end, fellow A/V nerds, I should mention that Brett Bolton was the artist behind these visuals. There’s a little behind-the-scenes post on his Instagram worth checking out. It goes into more detail about how they were made and who was involved.
Purity Ring performed eight songs from their latest self-titled album, alongside fan favorites from previous releases like Fireshrine, Push Pull, and Begin Again. If I counted correctly, there were 20 songs total, so even without the visuals, you’re getting your money’s worth and then some.
Purity Ring is still early in the “Place of My Own” tour, so check their website for a stop near you. You won’t want to miss this one.