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Remember concert announcements? It has definitely been a while since there's been one.
So excuse us if we were taken aback when we received notice that Canadian synthpop duo Purity Ring will be heading to South Florida this fall. Megan James and Corin Roddick have scheduled a stop at Revolution Live on November 23. The tour is in support of the band's third album, Womb, which dropped just as the pandemic was peaking last spring.
The album received critical praise upon release, with the Fader's Salvatore Maicki declaring, "Maybe the otherworldly sounds of Purity Ring are precisely what we need to escape into right about now."
The lead single, "Stardew," is classic Purity Ring: pretty, bewitching, and synth-heavy.
Purity Ring is best known for its earliest singles, "Fineshrine" and "Obedear," the latter of which serves as the theme song for the HBO Max series Search Party.
James and Roddick are no strangers to performing in South Florida. When New TImes saw the band perform at Basel Castle in 2012, their performance stood out among a packed lineup that also included Twin Shadow and Trinidad James. "[Purity Ring] managed to pull off an arresting performance, largely on precise playing, smooth segues, and the strength of James' voice," former New Times music editor Arielle Castillo wrote in her review of the show.
The band later went on to perform at the Fillmore in 2015 and Ultra Music Festival in 2016.
But beyond Purity Ring's return to the area, the show marks a significant milestone: It's the first major show Revolution Live has announced since the pandemic began. With President Biden saying he'll direct states to make the COVID vaccine available to all eligible adults by May 1, there's hope that shows such as this one will go on — and, more important, that they will happen safely.
Whatever concerts look like moving forward, there's reason to be optimistic about the future. And what better way to celebrate that than with Purity Ring's beautiful melodies?
Purity Ring. 8 p.m. Tuesday, November 23, at Revolution Live, 100 SW Third Ave., Fort Lauderdale; 954-449-1025; jointherevolution.net. Tickets cost $27 to $75 via ticketmaster.com.