BLACK MOUNTAIN IN CONCERT:
Canadian psych rockers Black Mountain always lay it on thick with their hypnotic grooves and spacey jams in concert. Using the fuzzed-out ‘60s as their freaky launch pad, the group stirs up propulsive beats, warbling keyboards, overdriven guitars, and driving basslines to take listeners on a sonic adventure. Vocalists Stephen McBean and Amber Webber lead the heady experience as they howl, harmonize, and chant their trippy lyrics together. Meanwhile the rest of the band explores trippy territory with atmospheric echoes and wailing solos that elevate standouts like “Rollercoaster”, “Mary Lou”, and “Stay Free” to new heights. When the last hallucinatory note rings out and the house lights come on, ticket buyers will be grateful to Black Mountain for taking them on this eye-opening journey.
BACKGROUND SNAPSHOT:
After leading Vancouver-based cowpunk outfit Jerk with a Bomb, Stephen McBean shifted his focus to fuzz-laden acid rock in 2004 and started Black Mountain. The band hit the ground running, releasing their self-titled debut album in 2005 and finishing out the year as an opener on Coldplay’s Twisted Logic Tour. In 2008 they enjoyed a huge breakthrough with their sophomore album In the Future, which was shortlisted for a Polaris Prize (the award given to the best Canadian album of the year) and nominated for a Juno Award for Best Alternative Album. Since then the collective has spawned multiple successful side projects including Pink Mountaintops, Grim Tower, and Lightning Dust. Despite these successful projects the band remains committed to mining the intrepid sonic nuggets of Black Mountain—a worthy endeavor that yields stellar results like their acclaimed 2016 album IV.