Explosions in the Sky is possibly my favorite band in the world right now. The first song of theirs that I ever heard was “Your Hand in Mine,” which I discovered on an archived podcast of a show on Barnard College Radio. Counting Monday, I’ve seen them play live three times so far. The first time was an unforgettable performance at the El Rey, just up the street from me here on the Miracle Mile. The second was a bit of a disappointment at the Epicentre down in San Diego, where the low ceiling and heavily sedated crowd robbed the experience of any sense of spectacle. I’d been looking forward to the Wiltern show for months.

And yet, when it arrived, I found myself having trouble paying attention to the four boys from Austin. Despite their characteristically dramatic performance, where they end up crouching and often practically collapsing on stage from emotional overload. Despite the new lighting design that makes their lush soundscapes even more overwhelming. Why? Well, you try standing within spitting distance (not that you’d ever spit in front of her) of this woman and see how well you can concentrate on anything other than the fact that the most physically beautiful person you will ever see in your entire lifetime is standing literally six feet away from you.

What about the show? Well, I’ll do my best. (more…)