People go to see the bands they like live for different reasons—to dance, to sing along with their favorite songs, to get a more tangible energy from the musicians than can be experienced on record. With SunnO))), who took the stage at Neumo’s last night, the experience was completely physical. I’ve never felt such strong vibrations from my chest down through the bottom of my gut—it felt like my legs were slowly sinking through the floorboards from the sheer mass of their drone. The men took the stage in brown capes like members of a Star Wars clan, a smoke machine shooting geysers of white plumes toward the ceiling and around the club. The moved their arms in slow arcs like they were performing ancient levitating rituals, or slowly moved their guitars towards the giant wall of amps (Jucifer is the only other live band I’ve seen rival such a brick house of amplification). Their setup included two guitars and two Moog synthesizers—it was a powerful experience standing before them, to say the least. And while it wasn’t for everyone—the dynamics in drone are subtle at best—it was such a different, visceral experience I have to recommend it to anyone looking for a healthy sonic massage. Openers Boris were a Japanese powerhouse trio, sinking Sabbath and the Stooges in the thick black sludge of more drone and feedback. And they had a huge gong that the drummer hit intermittently. My overall assessment of the show: fucking heavy.