Purity Ring concert features crowd faves

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons

Christian Portilla // Contributing Writer

Canadian music duo Megan James and instrumentalist Corin Roddick, known as Purity Ring, said they were happy to be back in Miami as they packed The Fillmore at night on Friday, Sept. 11.

Purity Ring is currently touring the release of their second album “Another Eternity”.

Opening for the band was California native HANA who filled the auditorium belting out vocals while manning a mixer. Although most of the crowd was there for the main act, some could be heard singing along to her lyrics. By the end of her set the crowd cheered and praised her performance.

As the night began it was obvious Purity Ring upgraded their stage presence.

Around 9:30 p.m., James took to the stage in an all white jumpsuit reminiscent of futuristic couture, her shoulders displayed vertical cone shaped mesh and she sported a pink waistband with silver shoes.

Roddick drummed and controlled lights on what looked like a row of white plastic torches while pinching a DJ controller, but what complimented their outer space look where the rows of dangling lights on each side of them as they played from the center.

The sound was incredibly clear and crisp, identical to what you hear on the album, but the music was taken to another dimension as the venue drowned in the lights.

The band immediately started with songs from their new album and then took seasoned fans back to 2012 playing songs such as “Crawlersout,” “Ungirthed,” “Belispeak” and “Obedear” from their first album “Shrines”.

James dominated the stage entirely walking and playing between the hanging lights. During a song she drummed with Roddick, and during another she went up and drummed on what looked like a moon that hovered above him. She then slipped on white hand gloves with small broken mirror pieces on the palms and played with her own row of touch lights which glistened like glitter through the audience.

Her movements were jagged, robotic and then gentle. She looked incredibly natural in her element and reached out to the front row where she would engage and hold hands with them. The crowd responded with love and at one point a fan handed her something that looked like a necklace.

The crowd was diverse with people of all age groups and styles, most of which were dancing and drinking.

Between songs James made sure to tell everyone how grateful she was for those who came out as the show didn’t sell out and how much fun they had at the beach earlier.

Before ending the show, Purity Ring took it back once more and played the crowds favorite throwback jam “Fineshrine” which started a chorus and a small mosh pit.

The encore “Begin Again” which was also the single from the new album finalized the concert and left the audience craving for more. The lights turned up and people emptied out from the venue, all that could be heard was the murmuring of how awesome the show was.