Silversun Pickups at the Moore Theatre, Seattle

Silversun Pickups:  Showbox SoDo: Seattle, WA

As the house lights dimmed, a sustained synthesized chord began pushing its way through the PA system. The lush sound triggered a deep wash of red light and dark gray theater smoke. From behind the sanguine scene, the Silversun Pickups (Brian Aubert, Christopher Guanlao, Joe Lester, and Nikki Monninger), who made a name for themselves for over two decades as harborers of harsh indie-dream-rock, materialized with Nikki’s ominous bassline and Chris’ hypnotic kickdrum beat rising surreptitiously into the air. The trademark introductory notes to “Growing Old is Getting Old” from the band’s 2009 release Swoon were soon fused with Joe’s eerie synths along with Brian’s ethereal guitar sounds and haunting vocals. The song grew in intensity through the duration of its atypical structure until the band unleashed an all-out blast of hardcore dissonance during the very last bridge of the song which had the harsh chords careening into the crevices of Seattle’s historic Moore Theatre.

Silversun Pickups’ impeccable start trekked further into their aggressively rough-meets -serenely soft metaphysical rock by segueing into the subdued beauty of “Sticks and Stones” from their most recent release, 2022’s Physical Thrills, followed with the hard-hitting, spine-chilling “Well Thought Out Twinkles” from their debut 2006 release, Carnavas. Having a few minutes for their “sixth senses” to warm up, Silversun Pickups moved further into their foreboding mystical tendencies with the spectral-leaning “It Doesn’t Matter Why” from 2019’s Widow’s Weeds – the phantasmic song fitting for the haunted venue where ghostly apparitions are often seen in the isles and lights are known to blink at random. Not scared by their haunted surroundings, Silversun Pickups proceeded to turn up their frequencies with the ultra-loud, effects-laden “Panic Switch” (Swoon) and the bassline-driven “Mean Spirits” from 2012’s Neck of the Woods -- inviting any lurking spirits to join in their night of ambient noise rock.

Carrying on with supernatural and nocturnal themes, the band ended their set with “Nightlight” from 2015’s Better Nature, with the crowd of hardcore fans singing along in its entirety until a deep redlight reappeared, summoning the band backstage. After a solid round of cheers from the sold-out crowd, Silversun Pickups reemerged through the sanguine scene to complete their otherworldly melodious set with the pretty “Empty Nest” (Physical Thrills) and their hit -- the explosive, esoteric “Lazy Eye” (Carnavas). Look for the Silversun Pickups exploring otherworldly themes and dark dreams in your area soon!