Live music review: Xiu Xiu brought unbridled experimentation to Elysium Friday

California’s Xiu Xiu is a band transcending many different musical concepts and genres. Xiu Xiu brought their unbridled experimentation to Elysium on Friday. This act is not afraid to take risks, scare the shit out of their audiences, and make records that accomplish all of the above and more. On tour following their recently released LP Ignore Grief, it is apparent that Xiu Xiu is still going strong after nearly 25 years as a band. The band has countless releases that all bring something new and refreshingly off-kilter to the table. Whether it be an album of duets, a direct engagement of pop music, or just pure noise music, the band has the tenacity to create something out of left field and new to the ear. No stranger to the touring circuit, Xiu Xiu’s live performance was as harrowing as it was ferociously entertaining.

Xiu Xiu’s brand of experimental music has the atonal chaos similar to Swans and Lightning Bolt records while also having the emotional impact from Jamie Stewart’s songwriting that goes a variety of directions, such as classic jazz music and the stylings of eccentric classic rock icons like Lou Reed and David Bowie. When the announcement came that Xiu Xiu would be stopping at Austin’s goth temple, Elysium, experimental music fans and diehard Xiu Xiu fans alike filled the venue with excitement to see what the group had planned for the band’s new era. 

Xiu Xiu’s Austin show was presented by Oblivion Access. Consequently, the bill on Friday night at Elysium was stacked and featured two local Austin acts that would set the stage for the headliner’s eccentrically chaotic performance. After seeing acts such as Lingua Ignota, A Place To Bury Strangers, and METZ before I though I was ready for anything, but Xiu Xiu went places with their performance that I had never seen or heard before. Friday night at Elysium was one the most anticipated 2023 performances thus far, and the results of the evening did not disappoint. 

To open the show, Austin local act Deep Cross delivered a captivating performance to feed off the energy of their new full-length release that dropped just a few weeks ago. Deep Cross’ live setup is worth mentioning due to its less-is-more demeanor. The band was armed with a laptop, heavily distorted bass, and a guitar combined with mountain-high, stoner metal-esque vocals that felt like a take on Black Sabbath if they went industrial. The band also promised an appearance at Oblivion Access in June.

The night’s second act came in the form of Blank Hellscape, another Austin act. The relentless noise-making from this set tested some boundaries for the audience in attendance. The band didn’t stop for anything, as each song segued seamlessly into the next. Their setup consisted of two picnic tables full of electronics and all the frantic experimental chaos that Elysium could handle for a Friday night show. Frontman Andrew Nogay stood on the floor for the entirety of the set, often participating in the mosh pits that erupted throughout the band’s performance. Someone mentioned Nogay usually dons a blindfold for the band’s performances, which sealed the deal for this writer. I’ll be seeing them every chance I get.

When the Xiu Xiu trio took the stage near midnight, the crowd was ready to purge all of their pent-up anticipation. It’d been almost a year since Xiu Xiu made a live appearance in Austin at the Oblivion Access festival, only this time, they was getting the headliner treatment. The band opened its set with a new track, “Pahrump.” As the song began with a faint organ in the background, the dreary vocal passage soon combusted into an orchestral display. The song had Stewart and fellow bandmate Angela Seo going right to work during the opening moments of the band’s performance. When they came together for the track’s chorus, the ethereal orchestral passages with the demented screamed vocals that followed provided a perfect introduction for what the audience was in for, over the next 90 minutes.

The band continued their set with another new cut “Maybae Baeby.” The performance of the track featured vocals from the band’s synthesizer player, Angela Seo. The tune featured the crashing of two cymbals situated next to Stewart and Seo, eventually reaching a point of noise that was damn near deafening. It felt like one of those scenes in a horror movie when you turn on the lights inside of a bathroom, and a demon is standing right behind you in the reflection in the mirror, ready to steal your soul. 

“Bottle of Rum” from the band’s duet record Oh No provided a more accessible portion of the set. Each track on this record features a guest vocalist among the likes of Liz Harris and Sharen Van Etten. Although both cuts included in the set list did not feature the record’s guests live, the band did them justice. The tune feels like Xiu Xiu embracing its shoegaze side with a rock-oriented atmosphere. Stewart’s guitar work created a spectacle on its own. Shredding guitar solos and fearsome riffs weaved through the show as Stewart kept the onslaught going with little banter during the performance. “Rumpus Room” from Oh No created a dance-punk vibe that made for one of the few danceable moments of the night. 

The drumming from newly-official member David Kendrick embodied the variety of influences that Xiu Xiu has been embracing throughout their time as a band. A former member of Devo and a session member of Sparks and Bastille, Kendrick went into each track with an approach of oftentimes unhinged percussion aggression. Kendrick’s in-the-pocket delivery manifested in pure form during the band’s cover of New Order’s “Ceremony.” Kendrick easily tackled the Stephen Morris grooves, making for a welcome moment in the last leg of the group’s set. 

To close the show, Xiu Xiu rolled out  tracks, “Ian Curtis Wishlist” and “Girl with Basket of Fruit.”  The former features some of the most distressed vocals Stewart has to offer. The jarring “I’m Just Kidding!” being yelled into the void during the outro was a welcome moment of sheer intensity. Stewart’s vocal delivery is always eccentric, but when his foreboding howl takes shape, it might send the uninitiated running.

“Girl with Basket of Fruit” is a song from the band’s most terrifying record of the same name. The sputtering electronics that go hand-in-hand with Stewart’s manic delivery were an excellent closer. After the enthralling performance of this track, Stewart finally broke his banter silence, thanking the audience for being there before returning backstage to prepare for the band’s encore. 

When the opening notes to the band’s 2004 track, “I Luv the Valley OH!” came through Stewart’s guitar, the crowd cheered in soaring approval for the encore. The emotionally vivid lyricism shines through in the best ways on this track, making for a singalong that ended the night on a high note. The trio promised to return soon, hopefully before 2023 reaches its end. It’s always a thrilling experience to see Xiu Xiu showcase their intense oddities, and not many bands do it better. Whether they embraces chaos, ice-cold emotion, or experimental havoc, there is always a lot to unpack, and there will be more to come.

Xiu Xiu continues their U.S. tour through May 7, then head to Europe. Check their complete tour listings here.

All photos by Case Cockrell

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