I attended this incredible show in 2021 and the A Place To Bury Strangers set was the best APTBS set I’ve seen to date and a highlight of the whole festival. It’s been captured on record magnificently, true to life in its ear shattering glory.

If I recall correctly this legendary bill was the result of the addition of a second Kikagaku Moyo set added on to what was then a Black Angels/Tinarawin show at Stubb’s (the festivals de facto “main stage”.) When Tinarawin then cancelled their US tour, the Stubb’s show and APTBS headlining late night show were merged. Longtime Black Angels collaborator Bob Mustachio ran lights and visuals, and Ami Dang and Ringo Deathstarr played fantastic sets as well. They set the perfect vibe which was a titanic task, given the size of the venue and the three district sounds of the “headlining” acts.

A Place To Bury Strangers start their set with noisey, white hot renditions of a few newer “catchier” tracks and the show gets continuously more intense as it goes on. You can see the second song professionally captured on the Levitation YouTube or embedded below.

The final three songs are a climatic performance of the closing tracks from their first two albums way back in ’07 and ’09, and the debut of a new song that remains unreleased elsewhere. An interesting choice which reminds me when listening that now and always they’re passionate and destructive performers, whose excellent songs are a vehicle for independently amazing and immersive post punk experiences.

In his soul I think Oliver is always melting faces and blowing roofs off in dirty garages full of weird kids, even when he’s recording in the studio or playing to thousands of festival attendees (who likely bought tickets with other bands in mind.) It’s that raw energy that’s recorded here like bottled lightning, and I feel lucky to be able to enjoy it again.