Agalloch: The Serpent & The Sphere Record Release Show at the Star Theater, Portland OR, May 16th, 2014
Agalloch would like to thank the following people, bands, and venues for all their help and support during our two recent shows in Portland and Seattle: The Star Theater, The Highline, Yob, Wounded Giant, Lasher Keen, Sedan, Billy Anderson, Jesse Greene, Stephen Parker, Veleda Thorsson, Ryan Kirsch, and our Italian friends Alberto Fusar and Maurizio Ligniti. Thank you to everyone who came to the shows and supported us. Your attendance helps us stay independent and continue making music. See many of you this summer! — via Facebook
Continuing to be as humble and grateful to their fans as they always have been is clearly reaping great rewards for Agalloch. The sold out show in their hometown of Portland, Oregon, at the Star Theater was testament to that fact, as disappointed fans without tickets reached the doors but were contented to decide to make the drive to Seattle to see them the next night at the Highline. I was truly blessed to make it to Portland for this event, and I certainly wasn’t the only one to make the trip from out of town. The excitement was truly palpable as the lovely, relatively small venue filled up with an eager, friendly and diverse crowd of fans.
Sedan and Lasher Keen opened the show, the latter appearing with a true grand entrance via the (really impressive) patio toting branches rich with green leaves. I could have sworn for a moment I was at an evening performance of one Shakespearean act or another.
Securing a good spot in an enthusiastic crowd of their hometown fans on the night of a stunning record release felt plain magical. Of course, that could just be Portland’s natural forest magic seeping through, as a blue-green smoky haze descended for most of the set over a lovely backdrop featuring the cover art from the new album. John Haughm’s silhouette, open headstock guitar and all, stood out clear and true beside Don Anderson on guitar and Jason William Walton on bass. Of course I knew Aesop Dekker was back there on the drums, carving out the truly gorgeous performance which peaked with some rarely-played jewels of their catalogue. Fans of 2002’s The Mantle were absolutely thrilled to hear, for the very first time ever live, “…And The Great Cold Death Of The Earth.” A captivating night from beginning to end.
(Bandcamp)
* stay tuned for more from Danielle in Portland: 2nd Avenue Records and Death to False Pizza!!
