Over the summer, I started listening to alternative electro-R&B artist Sudan Archives, AKA Brittney Parks. I followed the release of her new album, The BPM, listening to the singles over the summer on KXCI. When I saw that she was coming here to Tucson, I needed to see her live. The artist that I had been keeping up with for months was going to be here!
I entered La Rosa, which was buzzing with activity. The venue creates a beautiful atmosphere with the pointed arches of the Benedictine-Church-turned-concert hall; a very elegant and artsy vibe permeates the space. I spent the first few minutes absorbing the energy of the church and enjoying the beautiful music of Angélica Garcia, wandering upstairs to the balcony to capture the scene from above.
Garcia’s music was hypnotizing. Her synth-heavy, experimental latin pop combined with the lighting of the venue instantly fascinated me, and I was enraptured by her voice and dancing. She called out to the crowd, inviting us to participate in her act for her final song, and as the music wrapped up, we prepared for Sudan Archives.
The hall was buzzing with anticipation for the Selfish Soul singer. As soon as the music began, Parks became some sort of futuristic humanoid creature, in line with the themes of her new album, The BPM. She stood straight, with white contacts obscuring her eyes and a powerful presence.
Parks was part of the music; she began with Dead, which was incidentally my introduction to her this past summer, and continued into more of my favorite tracks, Yea Yea Yea and Noire. Her violin became a weapon, which she brandished like a sword or shot like a gun. The power she infused into her performance radiated back from the crowd- there was a palpable energy in the air. Every move- every facial expression and muscle seemed calculated and intentional. Parks is an incredibly dynamic performer, and as I watched her I was in awe; she told a story within the concert, with her dance and her violin.
It was an amazing experience to discover an artist over the summer, follow her through an album release, recommend her new music to the DJs at KAMP, and then finally see her performing all of the songs I had been listening to from one of my favorite albums of the year, right in front of me. Thank you so much to the awesome people at Co-sign for this opportunity!
The rest of Sudan Archives’ tour dates can be found here.
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