THIS WILL DESTROY YOU BEND TIME AND SOUND IN A TRANSCENDENT SET AT THE ECHOPLEX
There’s something about seeing a band like This Will Destroy You in a venue like The Echoplex that just makes sense. No giant production, no need for introductions. The band came out, got right to it, and let the music carry the night.
Their set was patient and deliberate—long builds, heavy textures, moments that hovered just above silence before swelling into something massive. It wasn’t about big hooks or obvious peaks; it was about being present, letting the sound unfold, and getting pulled along with it.
The room felt tuned in. Nobody was shouting over the music or filming the whole set. Everyone just… listened. It was the kind of show where you could close your eyes and forget you were standing in a dark club in L.A. for a while.
About halfway through the set, it became clear that the band wasn’t playing for applause or reaction. The songs bled into each other without pause, creating a continuous atmosphere that blurred time. You could feel the collective exhale from the crowd between tracks—like everyone had unknowingly held their breath through the build-ups and needed a second to reorient.
There’s a natural comparison to Explosions in the Sky, not because one echoes the other, but because both bands explore instrumental storytelling in a way that connects on a deeper level. Where Explosions leans bright and expansive, This Will Destroy You often drifts into something moodier, heavier. Each has its own voice, and this night was a reminder of how powerful that kind of musical language can be—spoken without a single lyric.
By the time the last note rang out, there wasn’t much to say. It was the kind of show you don’t clap through—you just take a breath, hold on to how it made you feel, and walk out into the night with a quieter mind.
