A Solo Psychedelic Performance from Down Under

As per no surprises on this blog—I went to another concert last Friday and, as everyone should assume, it was a good time. It was the second time I've seen international artist Tash Sultana, however, it was the first time I had seen them in Columbus as well as the first time I was at the venue Express LIVE. To start chronologically and with the venue, Express LIVE seemed to be one of the most typical venues I have ever visited for a show. Albeit, I've attended a wide array of venues, from the beach of a natural spring quarry (Nelson Ledges Quarry Park), an old church that was converted to a music hall (The Bluestone), the only natural amphitheater in the world (Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater) and even a vintage bowling alley from the 1920s (Mahall's 20 Lanes), so perhaps my expectations for venue coolness is higher than the average concertgoer. In all fairness, Express LIVE wasn't dirty—to say any concert venue is necessarily clean is almost an oxymoron—so that is a plus in comparison to a dimly lit, grimy dive bar.

Moving onto the actual performance, Tash Sultana was even more phenomenal than I expected them to be. Even though I had seen them last year, each performance of theirs is entirely unique. This is due to the particular of their music. Tash Sultana is a looping artist, which is a technique where the artist loops what was just played, and then plays over that layer and continues to build and switch layers until the song is complete. (For an example, check out Tash's NPR Tiny Desk Concert here or Dutch producer, multi-instrumentalist and composer BINKBEAT's song Little Nerves here).

Tash at Express LIVE—photograph captured by your lovely author

On their second international tour, over four million monthly listeners on Spotify alone as well as two or three collaborations with other popular artists, it seems like nothing can stop Tash Sultana.