Swans Tickets

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!!!

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.

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

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.

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.

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!

Just overwhelming with regards on music and noise.

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.

Every time I see Swans I get goose ( read "swans" ) bumps.

Fantastic! I've wanted to see them for a long time and they delivered big time!

Swans' music is so inherently violent and overwhelming that it is easy to lose sight of Michael Gira's goal: ecstasy. On the floor of the Royale Boston, I was assaulted, body, mind, and soul, by Swans' music. Warning: It really is very, very loud, sometimes physically painful. Earplugs are an absolute necessity. Jenny Hval and her band are amazing. Her vocal range is ridiculous, and the tricks the band used to create sounds that would otherwise be impossible were surprising.

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

Swans has been garnering press lately for being loud. Loud and amazing. Cathartically loud, with songs that routinely cross the twenty-minute mark. Swans brings a power and intensity rarely seen in bands. Low, on the other hand, tends toward the quiet side. Well, quieter. Sure, they rock out at times, but mostly they bring a measured pace and incisive lyric to the stage. They have their moments of rage and tension, but tend to do it at a tolerable volume. So it was a good idea to have Low open--they wouldn't have worked well after the devastation Swans wreaked on the audience. They warmed up the crowd with slow-burn resentment peppered with moments of light, only for Swans to steamroll the room with sound. I say sound rather than noise because while the band does indulge in extended raging jams, it never becomes an indecipherable wave. This is still music. Both bands have their own intensity and magic, but they do it at different volumes. I didn't wear earplugs for Low; I needed them for Swans.

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 thats exactly what they delievered when I saw them. One of the most important things you should know before going to a swans show is that its not like traditional shows at all. If you dont have an appreciation for avant garde then odds are you wont enjoy it very much. I compare seeing swans to an art exhibit more so than a concert. Another thing to keep in mind is that they reinvent their songs almost entirely live so essentially you're with the band on a trip of exploring music. To some this can be annoying to not recognize all the songs but the experience of it all didnt make that a problem for me. Also their opening act, Devandra Banhart, was really good too, definitely someone to check out.

Have seen the Swans consistently on their passes through L.A. since a DT warehouse show with Sonic Youth opening back in the mid-ish 80's. They are as crushing as ever, if not more so. This band brings joy to my heart, the current lineup of three guitars, two drummers and a bass is tight and even better than the first pass through a year ago. Most extreme Metal bands would kill to be as heavy. It's an amazing sonic machine to behold. The El Rey is not my favorite venue, way overpriced drinks and an awkward viewing arrangement, but a packed house helps the sound and the house was packed. Really great show.

I VERY MUCH wanted to see this show. I have been a fan of the band for years. The concert begun after all the subways were closed in all of the NYC area due the Hurricane Sandy. I was not able to make it due to this. It is unbelievable to me that the Bowery Ballroom did reschedule or cancel the show. I love the band, but will probably think about this next time I consider buying a ticket to this venue. It is clear now how serious the storm was and I believe it was irresponsible and unfair to people who live in the city to not postpone the show.

So good, I felt violated by Gira and crew. Michael is a madman on stage and the new songs were played violently throughout the 2+ hour set.

Beautiful pumping ecstatic rhythmic love, great!!!

Swans melted my face and transported me to the astral plane in one fell swoop. It was like I wasn't even in a room full of sweaty goths. Plus Jamie Stewart (Xiu Xiu) was the ideal opener and played a heart-wrenchingly honest and passionate set including a great Smiths cover on electric dulcimer. GO SEE SWANS & XIU XIU

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. They played songs from the new album, with "Coward" being the only song from their older era. If anyone doubts that this reunited Swans still has the power of the old band, their live show will remove all doubt. Gira describes this new album as the culmination of every Swans release up to this point and their current tour certainly supports that. I like to think of a Swans show as hypnosis or meditation through brutality. They created a wall of sound that far surpasses any band I've ever seen. Go see them, you won't forget it.