Purity Ring at Union Transfer

Purity Ring, the Canadian duo made up of Megan James and Corin Roddick, brought their ‘Another Eternity’ tour to the Union Transfer for back to-back sold out shows on Saturday, May 30^th. The tour, which includes supporting acts ‘Born Gold’ and ‘Braids’, was welcomed by both the early show and late show crowds, with a line wrapping a block around the building thirty minutes before doors opened at 6pm for the early show, and 10pm for the late. The full Canadian lineup was greeted by Philadelphia fans with open arms.

Quickly packing the front section of Union Transfer after getting into the venue, there were many fans ready to welcome Born Gold to Philly by the time the opening act hit the stage. Born Gold kicked off the music with their unique experimental pop sound. The trio, headed by front-man Cecil Frena, brought a strong energy to the show from the get go. Their thumping rhythm and fast paced synths had the crowd bouncing from start to finish.

Braids was up next with a bright stage design and a very different feel than Born Gold. Braids brought a more art rock, pop sound to the show with slower songs and aforementioned stage design that perfectly fit their lighter vibe. Playing songs off their new album “Deep in the Iris” the trio was very well received. If the rest of the crowd was anything like us, they all went home and spent hours on SoundCloud listening to every track that Braids has released, ever.

As the lights dimmed for Purity Ring’s entrance onto the stage, the crowd went nuts with kids pushing their way to the front, screaming with excitement. The people who had lined up hours before doors open were gratified, as they stood close enough to the stage to almost touch Megan James. To the delight of the crowd, as the duo began to play through their new material, they made sure to drop in a few classics like their always popular “Obedear” which was received with almost as much screaming as when they first took the stage. “Begin Again” was played as the early show encore, which was well received by the capacity crowd which chanted the lyrics back at Purity Ring.

Removing her shoes for their last song, Megan thanked the first of their two sold-out crowds for making their return to the city of brotherly love so special. The show showcased the bond between musicians and fans and what could be more pure than the music that connects us all?