On Tuesday, October 14th, at San Francisco’s historic Warfield Theatre, Purity Ring reminded everyone why they’ve held such a special place in electronic pop for over a decade. The show felt like stepping into a dream where music and technology fully merged. Glowing visuals and hypnotic soundscapes combined to pull everyone in for an amazing night.
The night opened with Yuniverse, who was on her first-ever tour. Her excitement was contagious and you could feel the crowd rooting for her with every song. Her sparkly energy set the perfect tone for the evening. Brett Bolton followed with a completely different vibe: an industrial, one-man drum machine. His simple setup, with a projector and screen, turned into a portal to another world. His drumming syncs perfectly with the visuals.
Before Purity Ring came onstage, the crowd buzzed with stories. Some talked about seeing them in their early days back in 2012, others were brand new fans experiencing them for the first time. I was especially excited having followed them for years. It’s been amazing to watch their sound and visuals evolve and each time I’ve seen them their production feels more honed so I knew we were all in for a visual treat.
They opened with a burst of visuals that looked like sparks, setting the tone for a set that felt almost elemental. The duo cast spells throughout their set: fire, ice, earth and water were all present. Their layered projections created a 3D effect that made the stage come alive. PS2 dreamscapes, nightcore nostalgia and galaxy patterns swirled together in a perfect nod to the 2010s internet aesthetic they helped define.
Megan James’ voice floated above Corin Roddick’s synths like pure magic. At one point, Roddick swapped synths for a guitar on “I’m an Ocean,” giving the set an organic touch that balanced their primarily digital set. The duo did a great job pulling from across their entire discography, mixing older tracks with newer ones to create a setlist that satisfied both longtime fans and new faces in the crowd. There wasn’t much dancing from the crowd, not from disinterest, but I suspected everyone was in a trance, including myself.
They closed with “A Place of My Own” and “Begin Again,” sending the crowd home glowing, still half in the real world, half in Purity Ring’s galactic realm.
Review and photography by Michelle Gonzalez
