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Swans

Rock

Swans Tickets

Events16 Results

United States

About

SWANS IN CONCERT:

Experimental  noise rock icons Swans haven't mellowed with age, and fans couldn't be more pleased. The band's new lineup is as pummeling and ferocious as ever, and frontman Michael Gira remains committed to delivering a savage wall of sound that pulls no punches. Gira cuts a shamanistic figure on stage, ritualistically leading the band through a sonic maelstrom that verges on the spiritual for acolytes of Swans' philosophy of transcendence through sheer decibel destruction.  Known for rewriting their own material live on stage, Swans never fail to floor ticket buyers with their creativity and intensity on their unforgettable tours.

BACKGROUND SNAPSHOT:

Swans emerged from the no wave scene of early '80s New York City, making a name for themselves with a heavy, droning sound that stood alone in terms of its volume and aggression. The band's 1983 full-length debut Filth was a study in abrasion, featuring choppy rhythms, screaming vocals, and morbid lyrics. Their blistering sound wasn't for everyone, but it did earn them a dedicated cult following, paving the way for a string of epochal noise rock albums released throughout the '80s and '90's. While tamer, more accessible LPs like 1989's The Burning World and 1996's Soundtracks for the Blind expanded the band's fanbase, interest in pursuing other projects led frontman Michael Gira to dissolve the band in 1997. Since reforming the band with a new lineup in 2010, Gira and Co. have released three more sweltering albums of heavy experimental rock, proving they've lost none of their edge with brutalizing performances on their legendary tours.

FANS WHO BOUGHT TICKETS SAY:

"Incredible! Two hours of blistering, bone shaking noise. Gira is still the most uncompromising musician out there and he puts all of himself into his shows. If anyone doubts that this reunited Swans still has the power of the old band, their live show will remove all doubt."

"Swans' ritualistic expression of the soul is mesmerizing. As is Gira's commanding the venue's crew. See them every time you can."

"Incredible show from an incredible band. Swans studio output has always been daring, different, and the only predictable thing about them is to expect the unpredictable, and that's exactly what they delivered when I saw them."

Reviews

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 based on 33 reviews
  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    This was the best show ive been to ever

    by SlomJom on 9/1/17Neptune Theatre - Seattle

    this was the best show ive ever been to, be warned michael gira hates moshing

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    B

    by Beautifulbabygirl on 8/28/17Neptune Theatre - Seattle

    Great show!!! Super sonic!!! Amazing band...nothing to complain about it

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Spectacular as always

    by Punkbebe on 8/2/16Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn

    The musicians of Swans put so much personal spirit into each performance that Swans transcends a band and becomes a musical entity unlike no other. You can see it on stage as Michael Gira commands his players, building crescendos and stopping onslaughts of noise on a dime with the swaying of his hands. It is impressive to see a band so in-tune with one another as each song builds to a commandeering groove that invites you to dance after being brutally assaulted with unmatchable punches of sound (seriously, this is one f the loudest shows you can hear, you feel the bass and drums and guitar riffs in meat and bones of your body and the tingling of the pianos and string section (steel lap guitar? Not sure what the instrument is titled) in the tips of your fingers and around the hairs standing on the back of your neck. This is the third time I've seen swans and although past performances could feel like a chore, this performance feel like a gift. They played through 4 new songs off of The Glowing Man, perhaps lending more progressive and meditative emotions as opposed to when I saw them play more abrasive cuts from To Be Kind. They did play screen shot off of TBK which was awesome! Overall this is the second best show I've seen this year (I would say it ties for best; but since I've seen them previously and had only seen Sleep this one time....Sleep gets the top honor). An amazing experience beat all of my expectations. Loud Abrasive Energetic Groove Tingling and enlightening this show was . If you even like swans a little bit best to check them out!!!

  • Rating: 4 out of 5

    Swans are like no other.

    by RevGoodLove on 8/1/16Bowery Ballroom - New York

    Seeing Swans live is a visceral experience that you must see live in your lifetime. At a pummeling volume, they took the audience on a grim journey into the human psyche. The only way to describe what really happened at that show is sorcery.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    by Anonymous on 8/1/16Bowery Ballroom - New York

    One of the most intense shows ever. Excellent performances by the band and the opening act. The club itself was really nice too.

  • Rating: 4 out of 5

    literally awesome sound

    by peteythesecond on 7/10/16Royale Boston - Boston

    the sound was literally awesome, intensely played. i was there in the early 80's, and heard the original no-wave bands, i lived in alphabet city for 27 years, but now i drive 6 hours round-trip (from vermont) to hear the sound of my youth, and the same attitude of having no interest in pleasing an audience prevails. and i am glad about that. but it seems like the band was set-up to make one sound, so if you were hoping to hear the range of sounds you'll hear on a swans album, then you were out of luck thursday in boston...i wish the band had represented itself better than the monchromatic rendering on display 7/07. i was hoping to convert my girlfriend to swans, but she's not drinking the kool-aid.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    A Spiritual Experience!!

    by giganticseacow on 4/6/15State Theatre - St Petersburg

    Before seeing Swans live, I had certain preconceived notions about how they were in person. Some say it would be vomit inducing noise, others would say that it would be a mind blowing event. I'm not going to lie, I was excited but afraid of what to expect seeing them live. Before I begin, yes, I did use earplugs. And yes, I do think they were necessary and helped me enjoy the experience. The started off the set with a new song, Frankie M. Swans is known for experimenting with new songs and writing them as they perform live, so don't expect to go to hear the hits or their older music. I could feel the immediate vibration of all the sound and instrumentation going through my body, a sort of all encompassing sensory experience. At times, frontman Michael Gira would become the grand conductor, carefully going up to each band member to bring out the intensity of the sounds they produce. Occasionally, it felt like a battle between sounds, as Michael would aggressively play his guitar next the bassist or lap steel player. He would alternate between his guitar playing and vocals, a primal howling that would send shivers down my spine pierce through my ear drums (I think his mic was louder than everything else actually, lol). It's interesting because despite the wall of sound, you can also choose to be an attentive listener and clearly listen to each and every individual instrument and nuance if you wanted to. So I would go in and out of focusing on certain band members, whether it be the intense cat strangling sounds of the lap steel guitar or the cascading tension of sound from the gong and percussionist player (Thor Harris). There were three songs that were about 30-40 minutes of continuous playing, including the epic Bring the Sun/Black Hole Man medley. That song was absolute madness live. It's inspiring and captivating to see the musicianship of these guys, as you can see the intensity and physical toll it takes to play entire pieces of music for such long periods of time. It's through this struggle and absolute pain that they seem to achieve some sort of out of body experience, a catharsis. The listener is then transported into this world of absolute noise for these extended periods of time that messes with your consciousness. I found myself often closing my eyes, trying to feel the music. After two and half hours of this experience, I found myself coming back to Earth, to the material world. This wasn't simply a concert. It has become a pivotal moment and memory of my life, something I can't even begin to explain. I woke up the following morning in a daze, as if I had just come back from the dead. But I didn't, I came back from Swans. I came back from a spiritual experience.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    The Swans heavy shamanic power!

    by OkoBunko on 4/4/15State Theatre - St Petersburg

    An amazing show. I've seen The Swans three times, and saw M. Gira (Swans frontman) another two times and I've never been disappointed by a show. This was no exception. It's amazing that at 60 years of age Gira can still perform such a physically demanding and powerful show. The venue was small, intimate and only added to the over all secret magical feeling to the show. Two hours of heavy, loud and physically moving drone, noise and experimental assault! Fantastic!

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    Almost religious.

    by Alexandermh on 3/25/15Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn

    Just overwhelming with regards on music and noise.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5

    A force of nature unleashed at the Tralf

    by JanesAddicted on 7/9/14Tralf - Buffalo

    Listen to the albums since their oth and you'll know this isn't a retread of the previous model. Live, Gira is in total control, at times conducting the band, and he's obviously getting what he wants. That was evident by the smiles (yes, smiles) that popped up periodically. This is incredibly powerful, built on repetition and layers, to create something that can be brutal and trance-inducing. At times it feels like ritual music. The pieces tend to be long and they take their time to "set the table". Patience is rewarded. This band runs on all cylinders, totally committed and holding nothing back for two hours. On the heels of 2-hour long albums, they still had new unrecorded songs to get out. My first time seeing them and I was not left wanting. Stunning. Gira then went to the merch table to talk and sign stuff. He was approachable and appreciative of the support.