PVRIS Celebrates 10 Years of ‘White Noise’ in Los Angeles
Article written by and photos by Natalie Ryan
On March 29th, PVRIS came to The Novo in Los Angeles to commemorate 10 years since their debut album “White Noise” was released in 2015. This was the last North American date of the short run of shows before they head over to Germany, France, and the UK. Earlier this month, PVRIS released a 10 year anniversary edition of “White Noise,” including remixes, a new track, two new versions of “You and I,” and a new recording of “My House,” featuring Courtney LaPlante of Spiritbox. For this tour, PVRIS was joined by opener Raue (pronounced roo-AY), a California-based two-piece. Judging by the line of fans waiting to get in with plenty of time before the doors opened and the show began, it was going to be a great night.
While the pit of the 2,300 capacity venue was already nearing the maximum, the young duo Raue kicked off the show. Transporting the crowd to a 90s grunge era, vocalist and guitarist Paige Kalenian and drummer Jax Huckle immediately showed that they were on this tour for good reason. With Kalenian’s moody lyrics and shaggy hair and Huckle going completely berserk on the drums, there wasn't a single thing to complain about. Even though they are relatively new, they've gained a following on social media platforms, especially for going viral for a cover of “Creep” by Radiohead. To everyone’s delight, they played their cover, Kalenian’s powerhouse vocals taking the spotlight to many loud cheers after beautifully executing those crucial moments in the song. These shows will no doubt earn them even more fans as they are definitely a band to watch, and one that I would easily go see again. There's nothing like watching a band have fun on stage while they’re simultaneously killing it, and that’s the feeling watching Raue play.
Find Raue at their individual links: Spotify and Instagram
Finally, the moment everyone was waiting for: the curtains were drawn, and PVRIS took the stage. The set design was visually stunning and relevant to the themes of “White Noise” with old-fashioned chairs, lamps, and a mirror hanging from the ceiling above the stage. As usual with PVRIS, the dynamic lighting was typically silhouetting the band, strobing during choruses, and always a different color to match each song. After lineup changes over the years, PVRIS is Lynn Gunn doing the vocals, guitar, and basically everything else musically, but while on tour, Brian Macdonald joins on bass and keyboards, along with Denny Agosto on drums. The set was broken up into two parts: they began with “White Noise” (front to back, including and finishing with “You and I”), took a small break, and then came back to finish the second half of the show with a collection of songs from later in their discography. “White Noise” was a pivotal album for PVRIS, leading them to become a staple at Warped Tour and go on tour with scene icons like Fall Out Boy, Bring Me The Horizon, and Pierce the Veil, and embark on their first American headlining tour in 2016. As the first female-fronted band to be signed to Rise Records, PVRIS was filling a need for strong women in music that was heavily felt at the time, and Gunn has championed other women and marginalized artists ever since. To hear songs that haven’t been played in years, like “Ghosts” and “Let Them In,” was something akin to a religious experience. Jumping forward to heavy-hitting rage anthem “BURN THE WITCH,” with Gunn flawlessly performing the parts of the other featured artists without missing a step. Transitioning effortlessly from a slow, moody song that you can sing your heart out to into a relentless, angst-filled track with a hammering beat that makes you scream and jump with everyone around you is one of the best things about a PVRIS show. Finishing off the show with slightly more recent hit “GODDESS,” the crowd gave every last bit of their energy before the band said their thank yous and goodbyes, throwing out setlists to lucky fans. Tears were shed, the floor was shaken, and once again, PVRIS never fails to put on a phenomenal show.
