Trying to describe a Swans concert to someone who has never seen the band is like trying to describe some place you’ve never been to someone who speaks a different language. That’s what happened to me when security at the Howard Theater asked me to prepare them for what was in store.
“I’ve only seen them once before”, I warned, “so I can only speak to that experience.” They nodded their understanding.
“It’s a relentless, aural assault for almost two full hours” I declared. They looked concerned. “Make sure you have hearing protection. But also pay attention to the crowd.” I was hoping they would be doing that anyway. “You’ll see a lot of people acting like they’re in a trance. The music is loud and subtle if you pay attention. You’ll hear it shift; it flows like the tide.”
I was trying to prepare them, not scare them, for the experience ahead on Sept. 5. So once the house lights dim, out walks Paul Wallfisch. He chats with the crowd for a bit, checks his keyboard, and begins to play for a few minutes. Slowly, almost timidly, Little Annie appears from the opposite end of the stage. She took her mic and began her delicate cabaret set. It was the sweetest thing I’ve seen at a show. At one point, she told the crowd the she was living in Miami and the DC weather was making her cold. She reached her hand out to the audience and seven or eight people moved in to warm her hands.
Annie’s set put a smile on my face.
I walked back to where I was waiting with the security guards. I said, “That’s pretty much 180 degrees from what Swans will be like.”
With no fanfare, Swans trickled onto stage. Founder, singer, guitarist, and soul of Swans Michael Gira took center stage. To his right were Larry Mullin on electronic stuff, Dana Schecter on bass and lap steel, and Kristof Hahn on pedal steel. Directly behind Michael was drummer Phil Puleo. To Gira’s left were bassist Christopher Pravdica and Gira’s longtime musical accompanist, guitarist Norman Westberg. It was so great to see Norman there. He hadn’t been at the last Swans show in DC.
After a lot of preparation, security wincing in preparation for a musical assault on the ears, the set began with Michael repeatedly plucking a single note on his acoustic guitar. It was so soft to start with.
I had begun to second guess my memory. Did I just imagine how intense the last show was? Did it start off like this one? No. I was sure it was bombastic from the start. Was this a new direction for the band?
But as each band member joined in, the sound grew. Kind of like if the Who’s down in Whoville slowly started cranking up the volume on their Mesa/Boogies. But what stood out the most was Michael Gira, himself. He smiled and thanked the crowd several times. It looked like he was enjoying himself!
Swans played for about two and a half hours. The amazing part about that is that the entire set was six songs. But the music is a living, breathing thing at a Swans show. It’s fascinating to watch the interactions in the group and how Gira directs where the music goes.
It turns out that I wasn’t imagining the changes to the set. I spoke with Dana Schechter after the show. I mentioned that the show sounded better this go around. She seemed happy to hear it.
For this tour, the show is much more musical. The set ebbs and flows a little more. There is still the crushing wall of sound, but it isn’t relentless. Swans gives you moments to catch your breath. There are still plenty of moments to get lost in the wash of sonic waves being blown through your body and catching your soul, threatening to remove it from your being. But, this time, there is enough time to recover.
Michael still conducts the band like a demon — pointing, gesticulating, even standing up and dancing. At one point, he even yelled at Christopher Pravdica to play! Chris returned the volley, yelling back “I AM PLAYING!” But whereas on the last tour, Michael seemed like he wanted to beat the audience, the band, and maybe himself into submission; this tour it felt like he was taking it all in and enjoying the experience more. So what should you expect when you see Swans? I really can’t tell you. And that’s why you need to go.
Setlist
- The End Of Forgetting
- The Merge
- Paradise Is Mine
- Little Mind
- A Little God In My Hands
- Newly Sentient Being
Here are some photos of Swans performing live at the Howard Theatre on Sept. 5, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Marc Shea.
