The Philadelphia band Spirit of the Beehive has slowly built a cult following over the past half-decade, with seemingly every northeastern artist I talk to speaking highly about the band’s influential blend of psych, grunge, and electronic music. Last year’s ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH elevated the band towards the top of many critics’ best-of lists and placed the band beyond the point of being “your favorite band’s favorite band”.
Even though I entered the show stone-cold sober, their set at Atlanta’s Aisle 5 was a hypnotizing and downright hallucinogenic experience that transported listeners into the world of ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH. The five-piece played through their set with no gaps and little communication to the crowd, creating a psychedelic experience that felt akin to listening to a slightly-haunted radio station. Switching instruments between members on nearly every song, the band’s sound was impressively tied to the dense sounds of their discography; it felt like every part of their sound was replicated and brought to life on the small stage, and the crowd ate up every moment of it. With a slot at this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival and an arduous touring schedule ahead of them, look to Spirit of the Beehive to transcend from a cult act to a group with the real potential to scale up in a big way. Philadelphia producer Body Meat opened the show with an electrifying set that set the tone for the night. Check out our photos below:
