Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Deafheaven: Roads To Judah Record Release



























Wax.

I had been looking forward to Deafheaven's record release show for Roads to Judah at Sub Mission since it was announced. I hadn't seen the band since January and at that time the record had not yet come out. Since then I've been able to spend time with the record and I can tell it's going to be one of my favorite albums of the year. I wanted these photos to reflect the overall feeling of their set, which consisted of Roads to Judah in its entirety. The first few are black and white to match the serene opening of 'Violet.' From the first blast in 'Violet' everything just went crazy. The band sounded so good as they ripped through the remaining three songs.
I don't know the guys in this band extremely well, but I still couldn't help but feel proud of them, like I've known them for much longer. The first time I saw them play was at Sub Mission, to about half the amount of people, who stood shyly a distance from the stage. Last night, George was able to levitate, christlike, above the hands of many smiling fans. I don't know if any photo will be able to capture the awesome absurdity of the act.
They released their first album which is an achievement in itself, but they also released it into a superficial world that is completely saturated with releases. Being on a well-respected label helps, but they wouldn't have landed that deal if it weren't for the strength of their song writing. I can't wait to see how they develop in the future. Congratulations, guys.
Also I'd like to dedicate this set of photos to my amazing and supportive parents, who celebrated their 25th anniversary the same day. Happy anniversary mom and dad.

3 comments:

  1. Fantastic show...strange how few people were there. These guys are so under rated. Where are all these SF metal fans? Missing out, that's for damn sure. I do feel they would do better in a bigger, less punk hall...

    Thanks for posting the photos...so great.

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  2. Ha there were more people there than last time I saw them at Sub. I think the metal community, in SF or otherwise is pretty divided on this band. Either they don't look metal enough or they're afraid to like a black metal band that's not "trve."
    I like seeing them in the smaller places. It's a lot more confrontational. Though a performance at Great American would be awesome.

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  3. Sorry I missed this, it looks a memorable show, and that's some stunning imagery. I've only seen Deafheaven once, playing with Mary Shelley, Stonehaven and Cormorant (who, if you've any interest, are playing with Woods of Ypres at Hemlock on the 25th) and I thought they were fantastic.
    Congrats to your parents, always nice to hear about couples who go the distance, an increasing rarity. I've been with my wife for 20 years and every once in a while, it's like, 'Oh yeah, has it been that long? Are we supposed to grow up or something?' The answer is always a definitive negative.
    Always look forward to new posts. Top notch.

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