SUDAN ARCHIVES HEATS UP A FREEZING NEW YORK
WEBSTER HALL — NEW YORK, NY
Not even a bitter, biting sub-zero wind chill could stop New York from selling out the iconic Webster Hall to see Sudan Archives on THE BPM TOUR on January 29th (on her birthday, too!). The Los Angeles-based violinist, producer, singer, and songwriter is midway through an intense run, visiting 24 cities in the US and Canada in only 35 days.
Outside, the line wrapped around the block even in the final minutes. Inside the crowd was absolutely buzzing. Fans of all ages waited anxiously for her to take the stage. Sudan entered the stage, adorned with a plethora of violins, performance pads, computers, and cables. Sounds of nature fill the air as she slowly makes her way over to the computer setup and turns it on. The sounds of a stream gave way to the album's opening track “DEAD.” She took to the center platform for the first violin solo of the night. She spun her spider web that had the crowd wrapped around her single for the remainder of the nearly 90-minute show. I really mean that. I have to admit that when “YEA YEA YEA” began, she asked the crowd to clap, and despite my focus on holding the camera, I simply obeyed and started clapping without even realizing what happened—that’s the kind of power she wields.
Sudan Archives has stated in the past she didn’t feel like her audiences were dancing and the middle of the setlist included a legendary run I have no doubt was intentionally placed to change that. At no point in the show was I not at least a little bit worried about the floor collapsing in the three-story venue.
The audience interaction remained intense. She picked “her types” from the front row during “MY TYPE.” Next came“A BUG’S LIFE” featuring a dance break from a guest dancer, while she circled the platform singing her new track about a scammer who escapes to Tijuana. The most fun of the night came in “MS. PAC MAN.” One of Sudan’s most explicit tracks. When I first heard the album, I thought this was one of the weaker tracks, but boy, was I wrong. After seeing it live, I actually think this is one of the load-bearing tracks on the album. It has successfully expanded Sudan’s range and gives the album more dimension and vibrancy. (To hear more about THE BPM, you can read my full album review here.)
The remainder of the show saw the album closer “HEAVEN KNOWS” and, of course, “SELFISH SOUL.” Several times throughout the night, Sudan melts to the floor, before rising again for the next song - a theme present on the album and on these tracks. The live performances breathe new life into an already incredibly complex body of art.
Sudan Archives is simply a titan of talent. I honestly lost count of how many instruments she played in the night. She danced, played the violin, sang, and rapped the songs that she wrote all night, all at the same time. (And never lost her breath - her cardio routine has got to be insane.) As the music industry becomes more and more homogenous, Sudan Archives slices right through the noise.
