Xiu Xiu/Chuquimamani-Condori/Chino Amobi @ Ruins @ Knockdown Center, Queens, NY 6/22/25

I had a mental note to see Xiu Xiu for the past 15 years or so after my friend Will told me he liked them. I heard an early album of theirs that I didn't like that much, but I still had a feeling I should check Xiu Xiu out. I'm glad I did, they were excellent and very different from the release from 2002 I heard. Jamie Stewart's sound is more guitar heavy than I expected. His vocals are still in the range of Antony and the Johnsons veering toward Swans. Angela Seo has been on bass/keyboards since 2009 and she provides and excellent demure to extreme counterpoint. Drummer David Kendrick was a member of Sparks in the early 80's and Devo off and on from the late 80's to the aughts, joining Xiu Xiu in 2018.

Chuqumamni-Condori played a keytar and Chino Amobi banged a drum in their realms of electronic sound collage and hip hop with a noise bed respectively. They seemed committed to what they were doing on a bright warm evening.

FOR FURTHER REVIEW:
Knife Play (2002)