Explosions in the Sky played Roadrunner – 10/1
TX post-rock mainstays Explosions in the Sky headlined Roadrunner with support from locals Pet Fox.
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You had a lot of strong options as a concertgoer last Sunday night in Boston. Final Gasp were hosting a raucous release party for their new record at ManRay, while Scowl, Militarie Gun and MS Paint were cooking up something that probably resembled a small riot across town at Brighton Music Hall. But sometimes a Sunday night calls for Sunday night music. Sometimes the sweeping, majestic tones of a band like Explosions in the Sky are simply it.
The Texas foursome (who expand to five as a touring unit) have been dispensing their signature brand of emotionally-charged instrumentals since 1999, releasing seven records (plus a bevy of film scores) and accumulating a cult-following fanbase along the way. Their latest – September’s End – finds them in fine form, and stands as motivation for their first U.S. tour in four years.
Sunday’s show at Roadrunner kicked off with a most welcome set from local favorites Pet Fox, who regularly put on a great show but sounded especially tight on the big stage. It’s always great to see a neighborhood band earn a prime opening slot like this one, and particularly so with a set of such caliber.
Explosions’ set began with some brief words from guitarist Munaf Rayani, shouting out Boston’s support for the band over the years, the long-gone T.T. the Bear’s (where they played way back in 2002) and their supporting act, but that would be it for the evening’s conversation. The songs – plucked fairly evenly from End and across the band’s pre-’10s output – spoke plenty on their own.
I’ve always enjoyed EITS on record, but the full-force sound of a live show is really where their shimmering balance of tension and release functions best. That’s not to mention that they play the hell out of their songs, wielding their instruments with a physicality that elevates each massive crescendo. Their visual accompaniment, consisting of a straightforward but effective combination of rolling fog and encircling stage LEDs, was also a perfect fit. Top to bottom, the set was truly the work of experts in the field.
Check out a gallery of both sets from the evening below.
