Photojournalist: Sarah

There’s no place in the crowd with a poor view at a Purity Ring show. Every time the band tours, their immersive visuals make you feel like you’re living inside the song no matter where you are.

On April 23rd, Purity Ring’s Place of My Own tour stopped in Tucson, Arizona. Since the pandemic, the band has been focused on the health and safety of their fans by continually providing masks and encouraging fans to wear them at each show. Whenever possible, they pick outdoor venues like the Club Congress Plaza stage to provide accessibility to immunocompromised fans.

Under a gorgeous desert sky, the show started with a set of stripped-down acoustic songs by the band’s own lead singer, Megan James, in her solo project called MMJ.

After finishing her set, she left the stage and returned with her bandmate Corin Roddick, and the outdoor setting was transformed into a glittering pink electronic otherworld.

Every single song had a unique visual experience, with layers of screens and LEDs that felt like nothing less than magic. They performed new songs off their self-titled album that came out November 26th of last year, along with some old favorites, but the highlight of the evening, in my opinion, was the acoustic version of their song “stardew,” accompanied by visuals that made the band look as if they were wrapped in starlight and floating through space. A song I have listened to countless times since its release in February of 2020 took on a new and unforgettable form in that moment.

Purity Ring is something I think every live music lover should experience at least once in their lifetime because no words or pictures can quite compare to being in the moment at one of their shows.

PURITY RING

photos by Sarah

MMJ

photos by Sarah