Earlier last June, Purity Ring returned to New York for a pair of two sold out shows at Terminal 5, in support of new album Another Eternity (out via 4AD), released this past February. The Canadian duo brought along fellow Canadian groups Braids and Born Goldto open both shows.
Born Gold, the project of electronic-pop mastermind Cecil Frena (who previously played in Gobble Gobble along with Purity Ring’s Corin Roddick), is always a ball of energy live. The last time I saw him was at our CMJ party in 2012 at The Living Room. So to see him go from there to Terminal 5 was quite a leap, but one that Frena was completely up to task for. They delivered the goods, and had just as much fun as the crowd did.
The last time I saw Braids live was when they opened for Wye Oak at Webster Hall last spring, and nearly stole the show. They previewed some songs at that show, and many of them went on to be a part of their new album Deep In The Iris (out via Arbutus Records). They brought their lovely organic sounds of indie rock to full formation at Terminal 5, filling out the large space with elegance. They’ll be back on October 22 for a performance at Baby’s All Right.
It’s amazing to see how Purity Ring have grown. It was just a couple of years ago where they played CMJ, but even then it was apparent that they were a group destined for much bigger stages. As much of a drag as it can be to see bands at Terminal 5, seeing a group like Purity Ring go on to not only play two nights there, but to sell them out with relative ease, does make you feel good.
Their new album Another Eternity takes the sound found on their debut and expands on it in a much bigger way, while still keeping those Purity Ring flourishes that we all fell in love with in the first place.
The Edmonton duo rose to the occasion, taking the stage draped with hanging strings and even a moon. Megan James was our spiritual guide for the evening, elegantly performing her vocals, never shying from a dramatic close or emergence to the front rows of the crowd. Roddick’s production and percussion filled out Terminal 5 wonderfully, with James vocals rounding it all up. They found a great balance between both the new album and their debut, molding them into one totally satisfying whole.
James finished the set in the arms of the crowd, using the crowdsurf to head to the heart of her fans. It was a unexpected but wonderful finish, an exclamation point to their growth to real big time performers. The journey of Purity Ring continues.
Find photos of Purity Ring, Braids and Born Gold posted below.
Born Gold:
Braids:
Purity Ring:
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