I rolled up to Kung Fu Necktie covered in a layer of sweat with three minutes to spare (there had been a bike tire issue on the way). The first band on the bill that Sunday, Lástima, were my most anticipated set, serving as the release show for the band's phenomenal full-length debut, A Pain Bloomed From My Lungs. Lástima are a Philadelphia-based metal outfit who I've been clamoring to see live since I first heard the lead single from A Pain Bloomed From My Lungs this past April. The instagram caption from label Liminal Dread Productions, including descriptors such as "jaw-dropping post-black quintet" and "if you've never seen a band whip out the violin in a dingy punk basement you've never truly lived", piqued my interest. I was delighted when lead single "Al Cerro Ancón", and later the full album, delivered on this promise.
Lástima opened the evening with a dynamic set that underscored the band’s wide-ranging influences which include post-hardcore, black metal, and screamo. A Pain Bloomed From My Lungs feels sprawling yet also compact, balancing complex compositions without muddling the fantastic contributions from each band member. I was excited to hear how everything the record comprises would translate to live performance, and Lástima did not disappoint. In every song, the music exploded off the stage. When we reached the breakdown during the first song of the night, I was smiling so widely.
Richie DeVon's vocals are stunning to hear live, a visceral delivery that drives home the record's themes of grief, identity, immigration, and imperialism. The screaming, in particular, was raw and compelling. And in a group of stand-out performances, Thuy Nguyen's violin sings in person, from big moments where the strings accompany the melody to quieter moments, where the keys and violin play off each other, a quiet contrast to the symphonic highs reached during the set. One thing I love about live music is the physicality of the experience, both in seeing how the artists embody the music while they perform and feeling how I respond to the music and the crowd. Moments like bassist Hazel Whitman kneeling on the ground for a moment, knocking on the body of the bass in time with the drums, always stand out to me during shows.
I also found myself connecting with the songs in new ways while I bobbed my head and tapped my foot to the beat. During a recent episode of the Riff Worship podcast, DeVon discussed collaborating with other band members on their various parts, including working with drummer Sam Hyla to write drums that marry black metal and reggaeton beats. This variation in the drum beat that I missed when I first listened to the record was so clear and invigorating live, in part because I could feel my body move differently when the beat changed. There is a section in the middle of "Sin Sol" where the guitar and drums take over which had me so transfixed that after the show, I scrubbed through the record to confirm which song it was from so I could hear it again. In person, it felt like a moment that went on for ages in the best way. I struggle to think of a more technical way to describe what I love about the guitar riff, because all I can remember thinking was that it absolutely rocked. Lástima is an easy addition to my "see this band any time they play your city" list. For folks who may not have the opportunity to catch Lástima live, the band collaborated with Hate5Six to create a concert film for A Pain Bloomed From My Lungs, which is available here.