Image Courtesy of @ nremac on Instagram
At the beginning of May, I had the pleasure of seeing Xiu Xiu at the Vera Project here in Seattle. Being a fan of their music, I had some idea of what one of their shows would be like, but my expectations were largely exceeded throughout the night.
About Xiu Xiu
Formed in 2002, by singer and instrumentalist James Stewart, Xiu Xiu is an experimental rock band from San Jose, California. Despite lineup changes throughout the band’s history, Jamie Stewart has remained the core member and driving force behind Xiu Xiu. Current members include Angela Seo, who joined the group in 2009, and drummer David Kendrick, who joined in 2018. Known for their avant-garde sound, Xiu Xiu incorporates many different genres including noise, punk, and electronic into their music. Their latest album, Ignore Grief, was released in March this year via Polyvinyl Records.
Their live performances are known for their unique elements and intense energy, and their shows incorporate not only musical aspects but also performance art and catharsis.
The Venue
The Vera Project is an all-ages venue in the heart of Seattle, directly next to Climate Pledge Arena and the Space Needle. The venue hosts art shows as well as concerts and is a volunteer-driven collective, focused on uplifting artists inside and outside of the Seattle community. The Xiu Xiu show was my first time at The Vera Project, and I loved the atmosphere and DIY aspects of the venue.
The Concert
To kick off the night at the Vera Project openers Medium Weekend and Spllit warmed up the audience. Medium Weekend is a Seattle band with an avant-garde math rock sound, and as of now, has one project titled NOTCH that was released in 2017. Split, from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, started off as a duo, and they have been releasing music since 2021. Their sound is extremely unique, and catching a portion of their set instantly made me a fan. These two openers complemented Xiu Xiu very well, yet they had differing sounds that were fun and refreshing.
As the crowd waited with anticipation, the lights slowly dimmed and the three members approached the stage. As soon as Xiu Xiu’s set started, I knew that this show was going to be different than any other concert I had been to. Each member had a stoic look on their face, and the silence in the room was penetrated by a slow drum beat and industrial noise, as “Pahrump”, a song from their latest album, began to play. The song begins with Seo’s quiet and monotone vocals and eventually breaks into a noisy orchestral production, that intensifies by the minute. In my opinion, opening with this track set the pace for the rest of the show, as they began to showcase their unique relationship between live music and performance art, which left the crowd speechless at many different moments.
One of the most notable moments for me was when Stewart played the kazoo for the first time in the middle of “Maybae Baeby”. I wish I could replicate the look on the crowd’s faces when they saw the kazoo come out, that sort of shock and awe was something I have never experienced at a concert before. The whistling sounds were accompanied by the bang of loud cymbals and voices from the crowd.
Link to view video: https://imgur.com/a/V8S4W2U
Xiu Xiu’s fifth track of the night was “A Bottle of Rum”, off of their 2021 album OH NO. This song was the first upbeat song of the Xiu Xiu set and was a refreshing switch in pace.
Another highlight of their set was their cover of a song from the cult classic television show Twin Peaks. As soon as the first chord of “Falling” by Julee Cruise began to ring throughout the venue, everyone in the audience applauded and cheered. A sense of joy and nostalgia was radiating throughout the crowd as everyone danced and took the moment in. Twin Peaks, having taken place in Washington, has a large cult following, specifically in the Seattle area, which made Xiu Xiu’s rendition so much more special. I wish I could share videos of this moment, but I didn’t even want to pull out my phone, as I was taking in the varying energy throughout this song.
Along with the Twin Peaks cover, Xiu Xiu also chose a track from their Remixed and Covered album to perform. I was filled with excitement as soon as I heard “Ceremony” by New Order start to play. I could feel a sense of euphoria coming over me as soon as I realized they were playing my favorite New Order song.
Towards the very end of their set, Stewart revealed that he had been super sick, and apologized for his vocals. I can safely say that this came as a shock to everyone in the audience, and it is extremely impressive how incredible and long of a show the band put on having been sick. They cut their set short two songs, excluding “Ian Curtis Wishlist” and “I Luv the Valley OH”, which they had been playing throughout the tour.
As the show came to a close, they finished off with two fan favorites “Rumpus Room” and “Girl with a Basket of Fruit”. These two tracks are definitely some of the rowdier songs that they played at the show, and during “Rumpus Room” there was a pit full of people jumping and dancing in the crowd. Directly after “Rumpus Room”, Xiu Xiu introduced their final song of the night. At one moment, I remember looking at Seo on the stage, and she was blowing up a balloon. I immediately looked at the expression on my friend’s face, as we were both confused and full of anticipation, waiting to see how they would incorporate it into the track. Seo began to squeeze the opening of the balloon, angling it in front of the microphone, as it let out a high-pitched screech. As the balloon emptied, Kendrick began to play the opening drum beat from one of their most popular tracks, which is also the title of their 2019 album Girl with a Basket of Fruit.
Link to view video: https://imgur.com/a/DccSB9D
I am so grateful I was able to go to this show, as it gave me a brand-new perspective on what performance art can be, and how it can be paired perfectly with live music. Many thanks to the Vera Project for allowing me to cover this show!
Ella Rustin | The Passionfruit | KXSU Promotions & Music Director and Music Reporter |