Texas based post-rockers Explosions In The Sky just released End, their eighth studio LP and first in more than seven years. The band is currently on the road, making their way to Brooklyn’s Kings Theatre on Thursday, October 5th to showcase the new record in a truly perfect setting. The historic theatre is just as cinematic as the band’s signature sprawling instrumentals, which effortlessly reverberated around the spacious theater.
Explosions In The Sky have mastered the art of the cinematic soundtrack over their career, with End being no exception. Aside from eight studio records, the band soundtracked several films including the enormously successful Friday Night Lights. The quartet’s instrumentals are uniquely suitable for the big screen as well as a focused LP. Their three-guitar approach allows them to layer lush and complex loops that suck the listener into a meditative experience. The music swells to climactic crescendos surrounded by moments of minimal beauty that keep you engaged for the entire album.
Thursday night was an exciting draw for any fan of Explosions In The Sky. The band does not tour all that often to begin with, and Kings Theatre is the type of venue that would perfectly amplify the band’s instrumentals. The show started off with an opening set from the Jim White (drums) and Marisa Anderson (guitar). For thirty minutes, the duo bounced back and forth between complex drum passages and swirling guitar arpeggios, integrating with each other at times but also playing solo here and there. The entire set felt like a singular, continuous piece that was flushed out in the moment on stage. Kings was filled in early and the crowd cheered the duo on as the set continued to evolve.
The opening duo set the tone for the night, hinting at the atmosphere that was about to take over the theater. Explosions In The Sky took to the stage to a thunderous ovation as they picked up their guitars and got ready for the show. As the first notes of “First Breath After Coma” rang out, from easily the crowd favorite 2003 LP The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place, the audience erupted into a joyous fervor. The band would play a couple more tracks from this album at Kings Theatre, but also added a last minute show at Bowery Ballroom on Sunday, October 8th where they would play the record in full.
The show rolled on, treating fans to a mix of songs from all over Explosions In The Sky’s catalog, blending the art of cinematic soundscapes with the live show setting to maximum effect. There is only one more stop in the U.S. on this tour, taking place on October 20th in Miami at the III Points Music Festival. After that, the band heads over to Europe for a run of shows throughout November. Head over to their website for the full itinerary and check out our photo gallery from Kings Theatre below.
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