If It's Too Loud...

I've been a huge fan of Benjamin Booker for over a decade now. His self-titled debut was my top album of 2014, and I've been impatiently waiting to hear what he would do after 2017's Witness. It was a long wait, but LOWER , released earlier this year is a strong contender for 2025's album of the year, and honestly gets better with each listen. Once I heard he was playing Crystal Ballroom, I knew I had to see what he would be like live in 2025. Booker took the stage with a drummer and Kenny Segal on roughly five different types of keyboards and DJ equipment. The trio formed a triangle on stage and started off with a sample about playing music for yourself, and to make sure you enjoy how it sounds. That was obviously a message to the audience, as Booker's current sound is virtually unlike anything he's played before... or really anyone else has done before. If anything, Booker has become an even more amazing performer since I last saw him at TT the Bear's back...