An exhibition of sight and sound: The Black Angels & Black Lips hit Revolution Live
The Black Angels and Black Lips fans collided when the two bands hit South Florida’s Revolution Live on their “Birds & The Bees Tour” in support of albums both bands released last year.
THE BLACK LIPS
That evening, attendees experienced a strange musical mixture of events. Black Lips opened for The Black Angels and brought their Atlanta, Georgia garage vibes down to South Florida. Co-founders Cole Alexander and Jared Swilley rocked mullets, greaser comb overs and mustaches, camo shirts, missing teeth and matching cowboy hats. The crowd was filled with drunken moshers dancing and pushing around to the wacky harmonized set. Known for their onstage antics, it’s no surprise that they ended their set with Alexander pretending to stick his guitar up the other guitarist’s bare bum- did I mention he was also wearing a short white sailor’s dress?
Sean Ono Lennon produced Black Lips most recent album Satan’s Graffiti or God’s Art?, which features voice dubs by Yoko Ono and Beatles influences.
THE BLACK ANGELS
Once Black Lips ended their set, the mosh quickly dispersed and the crowd chilled out in anticipation for The Black Angels. The last time they stopped in South Florida was in 2014 at the long-gone Miami venue Grand Central with support from Roky Erickson of The 13th Floor Elevators.
As usual, the Mustachio Light Show created ethereal psychedelic visuals for the band. Featuring light mapping, and double film reels overlapping delayed projections of the actual members playing live, The Black Angels never fail to create a true psychedelic experience.
Stephanie Bailey (drums) creates a powerful impression on stage, with her drumset being up front rather than the usual back of stage, and strobe lights flashing behind her as she plays.
Something interesting about The Black Angels is that both guitarists (Christian Bland and Jake Garcia) are lefties, which is fascinating to see live. As always, Alex Maas’s vocals entranced the crowd with his sultry verses and movements.
Their repetitive rhythms and riffs brought the crowd into a daze, and seeing The Black Angels live is a unique experience that invokes a feeling of nostalgia of the acid test ‘70s mixed with modern day neo-psychedelia.
Coverage by Catherine Toruno and Photography by Ron Navarrette
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