Chicago – Monday night marked the last show till the end of summer at The Riviera Theatre. The humidity seeped through the ornate walls. Sweat dripped down faces. But the heat didn’t seem to bother fans one bit. Flocks of Chicagoans, dressed like they were ready for Coachella, were excited to see Canadian electronic art-rock trio Braids and fellow Alberta electro-pop duo Purity Ring, who both brought a heavy and early dose of summer fun.

The moment front woman Raphaelle Standell-Preston walked out on stage with her boys — multi-instrumentalist Taylor Smith and drummer Austin Tufts – the room woke with animation. After the applause, Standell-Preston told the crowd that she just recovered from pneumonia and laryngitis. This was her first show after having to cancel a handful. She joked, “I may sound like a jazz lounge singer or I may not.” Fans up front screamed and thanked Braids for coming. Standell-Preston smiled, chuckled, and quipped, “No, thank you!” Despite being sick, Standell-Preston sounded amazing. Had she not mentioned her condition, one wouldn’t have known she only recently regained her voice.

The night started out with “Taste.” Standell-Preston quickly found herself getting lost in the music. The crowd seemed to, as well. She swayed back and forth, eyes closed, singing with rich emotion: “’Cause we experience the love that we think we deserve / And I guess I thought I didn’t need much from this world / So I left you.”

I last saw Braids open for Wye Oak at the Metro in Chicago. Where their songs were pretty mellow that night, this evening Braids was igniting a dance party. This April, Braids released their third studio album, Deep in the Iris (Arbutus Records), which is filled with more synths and lush beats. It’s a change fans have embraced.

While at first Standell-Presto reminded me of a more angelic PJ Harvey, especially with her 90s jean overalls, “Sore Eyes” made all those Björk comparisons understandable. “Warm Like Summer” brought cheers and plenty of applause, especially for Tufts’ ferocious drumming. Bravo, man. That was insane and amazing to witness!

However, the song that got the most love was the single “Miniskirt.” Ladies – and men, too, but especially the ladies – sang along to this feminist anthem, which Best New Bands noted the “audacious lyrics of misogyny is the driving force behind the track as Braids goes for it all, leaving behind any ambiguity found on earlier recordings.” Together, Standell-Preston and the room fiercely sang, “You feel you’ve the right to touch me / ‘Cause I asked for it / In my little mini skirt / Think you can have it? / My little mini skirt / It’s mine all mine!”

Headliners Purity Ring closed out the night with even more dancing and a fantastic light show, thanks to the ever talented Corin Roddick, who manages the lights and beats behind his Dark Crystal looking throne of drums. Even if you’re not a fan of electro-pop – although Purity Ring makes it hard not to be – Roddick’s magical crystal creation is enthralling. During “Bodyache,” he tapped on each one, not only sparking sound, but a burst of light too.

Singer Megan James’ wardrobe creations are also intriguing. James danced around, in her handcrafted, futuristic jumpsuit, wind machines blowing her hair in every direction. Purity Ring also released an album last year, Another Eternity (4AD), featuring singles “Push Pull” and “Begin Again,” which they played up throughout the night.

After a night with Braids and Purity Ring, you’ll want the night to begin again, to experience it all over again. Purity Ring will be touring until the Fall.

Braids are on tour throughout the summer, including performances at Hillside Festival. Head over to Braids facebook page for a list of dates.

Photos by Sarah Hess

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Sarah Hess

At the age of six, Sarah Hess discovered True Blue by Madonna. This resulted in her spending hours in front of the bathroom mirror with a hairbrush microphone, belting out "La Isla Bonita" off key. Her love for music only intensified over the years thanks to her parents; her mother exposed Sarah to The Jackson Five and had her hustling to the Bee Gees, while her father would play her albums like 'Pet Sounds' and 'Some Girls' from start to finish, during which he'd lecture on and on about the history of rock & roll. Sarah would eventually stumble upon rap and hip-hop, then punk and alternative, and fall madly in love with Jeff Buckley and film photography.

After attending The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Sarah went on to study education at Dominican University, earning a degree in history. When not teaching, writing, or taking in a show, she is most likely to be found with a camera to her eye or hanging out in a darkroom.


You can follow Sarah Hess on twitter at @Sarahhasanh and view her music photography on her website: smhimaging.com.

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