Date: Friday, May 10^th

Time: 10:10pm

Location: An infamous Downtown Los Angeles venue known only by its street address—1720.

The crowd has amassed—their anxious waiting made palpable via the room’s rising humidity. The air is filled with the scent of die-hards, and all-black attire is the dress code dictated in a non-existent memo that everyone in attendance somehow still received. A projection on stage begins a countdown as people scream and chant,

“CRY-WOLF! CRY-WOLF! CRY-WOLF!”

Behind that projection, Justin Taylor Phillips can be seen donning his outermost layer of stage attire—a designer lab coat (the [architecht] - courtesy of [aera]) fit for a heretical chemist brought forth from the ether to administer near-lethal doses of melodious and melancholic heartache. Over the speakers, the intro to his fifth single off this new release, titled DRIP, loops over and over again, amplifying the anticipation.

3, 2, 1…

The artist known as Crywolf rushes the stage, assuming position at one of three key equipment stations. Over a slowly-rising sea of textural drones and pads, his voice slices through the air as he begins the first track of both this performance and his newly released album— a siren’s requiem named ATHETOSIS [here’s the lullaby you made me promise never to write].

Visceral visuals, chaotic choreography, and seizing strobe lights perfectly complement Crywolf’s stage presence as he seamlessly transitions from track to track, the beginning of his set comprised entirely of material from his new release, dramatically titled widow [OBLIVIØN Pt. I].

As the performance journeys to past releases, Crywolf glides effortlessly between live MIDI controllers, electric guitars, and a customized electronic Roland Drum Kit that looks like it belongs in a sci-fi/horror. With each instrument overtaken, he becomes a new beast on a new mission. A mission to be heard—to be understood. Taking the audience on an adventure through records past and present, he is a chain reaction of passion as he ignites over and over, firing from one track to the next. It doesn’t take long for this fiery performance to exceed the boundaries of the stage, allowing Crywolf fans the opportunity to belt out their favorite lyrics right alongside their favorite artist.

Hitting fan favorites like Anachronism, Rising Rising, Weight, CEPHALOTUS, and QUIXOTE [i am alone, and they are everyone], as well as gracing those in attendance with both the original version of Quantum Immortality and its equally emotive cousin, the remix by rising-star producer AWAY, Crywolf holds the audience captive to the very bitter, heart wrenching, violently vulnerable end.

In true LA-show fashion, the end is never really the end. Crywolf’s encores consist of special guest appearances by Charity and Mothica, who lend their ghostly vocals to album cuts Silk and Neverland.

The show ends, and all that remains is the overwhelming sensation akin to being pulled back from the void and subsequently dropped back into reality. Crywolf had immersed the audience in emotions of every shape and color, and they seemed to love every second of it. The lights (s/o Jay Coller), the sounds, the projections, the stage dives, the lyrics sung, and the lyrics shouted back; each was as raw and primal an experience as the next.

Being the last show of this first tour cycle, Crywolf and his team surely did not disappoint. Now, fans can only wait with bated breath for what comes next out of this astoundingly creative camp.

Check out photos from the show below (concert film by Everett "IIZII" Lee-Sung), and find Crywolf on Twitter, Instagram, Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, or anywhere else music is streamed.

Watch the second installment of the short film WIDOW, titled Mabúl below.