On 14 July, DARKSIDE will perform their only concert in the Baltic States this year at the Grand Courtyard of the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania in Vilnius. For audiences in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, this will be one of the rare chances to experience the cult project of Nicolás Jaar and Dave Harrington live in the region, now returning as a renewed trio with drummer and percussionist Tlacael Esparza.
The concert brings together several layers that make it more than a standard tour stop: DARKSIDE’s only Baltic appearance this year, the band’s new live formation, material from their latest album, “Nothing”, and an open-air historical venue in the heart of Vilnius. The night will be opened by Lithuanian electronic music artist Liudas Lazauskas, known as Roe Deers, who is preparing a special DJ set for the occasion.
According to Dave Harrington, DARKSIDE’s current live shows draw from the band’s full catalogue rather than focusing only on the new album, “Nothing”. “We have really enjoyed drawing from our whole catalog of songs. Playing new interpretations of old songs, jamming and improvising a LOT, and playing the ‘Nothing’ songs as well. We may even play some brand new songs this summer,” says Dave Harrington.
For Harrington, the open-air setting of the Grand Courtyard is also part of the live experience. “The setting always affects what we do. These sorts of spaces can really influence us, push us in directions we wouldn’t have gone otherwise. I’m excited to find out how,” he says.
Roe Deers will open the night with a special DJ set shaped as a slower, more atmospheric introduction to the main performance. “I have been a fan of this band since their very first releases. I’m happy to share a stage with such artists, and to do it at the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania,” says Liudas Lazauskas-Roe Deers. For this evening, he says he is preparing “the slow and delicate side of the playlist. A light introduction before the dark side.”
Critics have already described “Nothing” as one of DARKSIDE’s strongest works to date. “Stereogum” called it the band’s best album yet, while “Billboard” wrote that it mirrors the uneasy state of the world today and answers it with some of the most vibrant music of the group’s decade-plus career. “Pitchfork” described the album as a raw, surprisingly funky and desperately hopeful response to the chaos of 2020.
From “Psychic” to “Spiral” and now “Nothing”, DARKSIDE have built a sound that resists easy definition, moving between electronic music, psychedelia, dub, guitar-driven improvisation and slow-burning intensity. In Vilnius, that language will unfold in one of the city’s most atmospheric open-air venues, making the concert a rare summer gathering for listeners across the region who follow the more adventurous side of contemporary music.
