Concert review: Purity Ring and Bethan at Club Dada (November 7)

The rainy evening became dreamy with the bands' shoegaze tunes.

Photo by Brenna Rushing

Purity Ring at Club Dada

On their way out of town from last weekend's FFF Fest in Austin, the future pop duo Purity Ring stopped by Club Dada on Monday for a relaxed set. They were paired with similar groups Peoplelodian and Bethan, both out of Denton. The night’s DJ-infused, synth based pop was fitting for the rainy evening, and the small crowd took advantage of the room’s space, spreading out in nooks and crannies until the headliner stepped up.

Peoplelodian kick-started the night with playful and sometimes quirky electro tunes. They have a full and eclectic band complete with a guitarist, a switch controller (aka DJ), a drummer, and a lead vocalist. Whether they’re aware of the audience or not, these guys play an introverted show that felt focused on simply enjoying the music. Drummer Chris Bryan kept the heartbeat pumping with rattling cymbals and timely switch-ups, setting the pace while frontwoman Ally Hoffmann swirled around the stage in time with the songs.

Bethan, the new solo project of Jessi James

New solo project Bethan set up soon after, and we got a glimpse at the good time that was sure to be had with the giant metal saw that would soon become an instrument. Bethan is the solo project of Jessi James’ initial group Novaak, a duo that created beautiful and structured alternative music. James has delved further into the synthesized sound, straying from concrete choruses and moving toward droning yet sexy notes similar to Portishead.

Accompanied by the musical saw’s sci-fi enthused noises, James’ slightly avant-garde style began to take shape with “Vague.” She owned the spotlight well, maximizing her gorgeous chords at just the right times. “I Have Nothing to Say” shook us out of our daze with an uncharacteristically sweet melody, bringing everyone back to the doo-wop era. Although James hardly spoke to the audience, the connection was apparent.

Photo by Brenna Rushing

Purity Ring at Club Dada

Canada-based duo Purity Ring started significantly late, building the suspense for the headlining set. Their future pop style has exploded on the festival scene, taking the humble pair across the country to various shows such as the CMJ (College Music Journal) festival in New York and last weekend’s Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin. Lead vocalist Megan James and pedal mastermind Corin Roddick had an effortless chemistry that carried them along from song to song with ease, creating a wonderful combination of dubstep and reverberating vocals.

Their current single, “Lofticries,” is a strong statement of how well they can manipulate simple effects into pulsating, liquid segments. Megan James’ soft but dominating soprano floated along, chopped and screwed in and out of songs: a strategy that’s set them apart. Their soothing style hasn’t quite taken off in Dallas, which perhaps explained the small but dedicated crowd surrounding the stage.

Purity Ring finished just as fast as they came on. No word on whether they’re working on an album or recording.

Only time will tell if this duo is in it for the long haul, but for now, they’re busy riding their wave of popularity.

NOTE: The band Datahowler was also on the lineup, but we did not review them. Datahowler played before Peopleodian.