The story goes that while on tour with André 3000, Sudan Archives loved crowds’ responses to uptempo music so much, she made a whole album to give her fans that same experience — so became The BPM, which she brought to Phoenix’s Crescent Ballroom for an unforgettable Saturday night.
Clad in a spiderwebbed catsuit and eerie light contacts, Sudan Archives strutted on stage like she was stalking her prey. Her weapons of choice on this hunt: her keyboard, which she used to set the beat, and her violin, which she unsheathed like a sword (sound effects included) to launch into her set.
Her self-described “orchestral Black dance music” did indeed keep the crowd moving, especially the lucky fan who got to join the performance. After twerking against the stage during “Freakalizer,” he was invited on stage to dance on the platform to “A BUG’S LIFE,” which Sudan Archives also said is her favorite song.
The vibe was part warehouse rave, part futuristic otherworld, and fully an immersive experience.
