The music of TR/ST is well-crafted, multifaceted synthpop that draws the ear and engages the brain. But TR/ST melodies weren’t the first thing to immediately provoke a reaction in a recent sold-out stage at The Atlantis in DC.
Rather, the audience may have looked onward in curiosity at the sparse stage setting. It seemed particularly stark with a blank white backdrop that bore nothing other than the word “FAG” (in red letters), place in a high lonely place.
What to make of this statement? TR/ST aka Robert Alfons is a gay man, and so there is an immediate link to his identity. But the word was place so highly, so remotely, that there was an aura of inaccessibility to it. This feeling was accentuated by the powerful strobe light show that accompanied Robert and his band when the music kicked in. The lancing beams of light created a sense of mystery. Perhaps the light beams were like prison bears drilling down? Or perhaps they were like feelings exploding outward?
I personally felt that sense of loneliness in the staging at The Atlantis on Oct. 31 — Halloween night. But it was a loneliness that found relief in TR/ST’s electronic music. It’s a good, strong formula that dates back to the earliest days of synthpop, a genre partly founded and much advanced by talented queer musicians.
Robert has said that he believes being a gay man makes him more empathetic, and it’s hard to argue with the musical results. Take for example, Performance, the new album released in September via DAIS, behind which TR/ST is currently touring. TR/ST presented five sections from the album in this Halloween show, including the title track toward the end of the main set. It’s a track that speaks to loneliness and alienation but it also invites the listener to dance, and so there is rush of freedom that accompanies the otherworldly lyric.
Watch the official music video for “Performance” by TR/ST on YouTube:
In addition to five tracks from Performance, Robert and his touring bandmates played five tracks from debut record, TRST, a beloved album among dark wave admirers. TR/ST closed the set on “Sulk,” a wonderfully soaring, synthy track that recalls the classic sounds of New Order and similar synthpop pioneers.
TR/ST also performed several tracks from The Destroyer (Part 1) and a single track from The Destroyer (Part 2), which was satisfying as drummer Lia Braswell contributed to those albums. One of several standout tracks was the pulsating “Iris” from The Destroyer (Part 2), performed in the middle of the show. The driving drum truly augmented the roiling, atmospheric tune, which captivated the full house at The Atlantis with its well-defined dance beats.
Watch the official music video for “Iris” by TR/ST on YouTube:
TR/ST closed the show with an encore of “Soon” from Performance and “Run” from the 2024 TR/ST EP. They returned for a second encore of “Robrash,” a 2023 single also from the TR/ST EP.
TR/ST is touring this year with new touring bandmate Robin Hatch on keyboards, and she certainly helped instill the sense of mystery in the proceedings. At the very start of the show, Robin entered the stage alone to start playing synths. She was soon joined by Lia, who perched on her drumkit on the opposite side of the stage. When Robert emerged, Lia and Robin directed their energies toward him as if he were a lodestone for their vibrant polyphonic sounds. They made for a very dynamic trio!
Although his music is fundamentally rooted in isolation and estrangement, Robert seemed pleased with the show. He was a powerful messenger for his music, dancing and writhing across the stage, occasionally as if a puppet being pulled along by a string and alternatively as a beacon calling out to his listeners. It was a mesmerizing performance (aye) all around, and Robert was clearly riding the wave of a peak creative and sensitive moment.
I left the show feeling a little less alone, and I honestly think Robert did too.
Here are some photos of TR/ST performing at The Atlantis on Oct. 31, 2024. All pictures by Mickey McCarter.
