HEALTH

date: april 12, 2019

venue: doug fir lounge, portland oregon

openers: ian hicks, youth code

by Mando Torres

Before I begin my tale, I just want to mention: I’ve been in the Bay Area long enough to expect and tolerate paying $9 USD for a tall can of Tecate at any given music venue or nightclub. This being my first time at Doug Fir, I was absolutely gut-punched (in a good way) to find out that a tall boy of Tecate was $3.50 USD. So I just want to make it absolutely clear that I had a few beers in me by the time HEALTH hopped on-stage and birthed what I can only refer to as a “sonic orgasm”.

Let’s go back to the start, though.

The first opener, Ian Hicks, was a scrumptious appetizer suited for the palette of anyone who is into industrial loops constructed to leave blisters in your cerebellum. A very short set laid the foundation for a hunger for more. An insatiable urge to feast on the pounding waves belching out of the speakers.

Holy shit, did I get what I asked for.

Los Angeles-based Youth Code, took to stage. I didn’t know what to expect (although, my friend had mentioned that we were basically going to be screamed at by a lady). I was hurled into a fucking dark pool made up of the industrial/goth/post-punk beats and melodies of Ryan William George mixed with the guttural, primal screams of Sara Taylor. They made love to me that night. In the most aggressive way imaginable. They were inside me and inside of everyone else spastically undulating to the beats. I almost came but I knew I wanted to save what was left of me for the headliner. I pulled up my pants, zipped them closed, and waited for my next John to fuck me up.

One beer and one cigarette later, I was on my knees again. This time for the boys of HEALTH.

The angelic vocalizations of Jake Duzsik combined with the penetrating drums and hole-destroying synth and guitar tones (of fellow HEALTH bandmates: John Famiglietti and BJ Miller) on songs like STONEFIST, and Die Slow existed only to possess me, exorcize me, and possess me again. My body was a vessel for their music to pin me to the ground. For their music to choke me. For their music to spit in my mouth.

They came first.

I wasn’t ready for it to be over.

They were gone before I could ask them to stay and cuddle for a bit. My attachment issues on full-display. I ended my first Doug Fir show with a hole in my heart. A hole I need HEALTH to fill once more.