Battle Tapes - Texture Release Show
One Night in LA
Battle Tapes released their new album Texture on May 5. I’ve been a Battle Tapes fan for eight years, and was lucky enough to attend the album release show in downtown Los Angeles the night before.
The show was held at Resident in the downtown Los Angeles Arts District. I got there early, had tacos from the Señor Fish food truck in the beer garden, and met some other amazing BT fans.
When the doors opened to the public, we were greeted with a long dark room cast in foggy red light. I beelined to the merch table, where they had keychains, tote bags, and special shirts and posters for the show. They were also giving out disposable film cameras to take pictures with.
Snakes of Russia opened with the coolest death beats I’ve ever heard, and then Fake Dad swept me away with their own dreamy style. And then Battle Tapes took the stage and killed it.
During the night I got to speak with all band members, and all were extremely enthusiastic and delightful to interact with. As for the venue, I greatly enjoyed Resident’s small, cozy feel, and if I’m ever back in the area I’d like to see another show there.
Battle Tapes Set List:
Last Resort & Spa
One Night in Burbank
Brand New
In Too Deep
Weight of the World
Dreamboat
Control
No Good
Belgrade
Valkyrie (Remix)
Feel The Same
Alive
I also took some video clips. Looking back on it now, I wish I had gotten small snippets of every song, including some from the opening bands.
Right before Battle Tapes played, the song Sleepwalking by The Chain Gang of 1974 came on (as heard in the first video clip). That song is how I discovered Battle Tapes. I was looking for that track back in March of 2015, and Spotify showed me Sleepwalker as well. I was hooked from my first listen.
Ever since I chose to not drop everything and fly out to the 2015 Polygon album release show that November, I’ve regretted it, and knew I had to go to the next one. Eight years later, with three weeks to plan, I arranged a three-destination trip around the show, stopping in Oregon and Idaho to visit family before heading to LA. The entire trip was an absolute blast.