A Place To Bury Strangers is a New York based noise rock band performing in Orange County for the first time at the Yost Theater’s Psycho de Mayo on May 5. Their manic, high-energy stage performance coupled with their psychedelic wall of sound is not to be missed.
“We’re gonna blow up a bunch of stuff and play some crazy loud music!” Oliver Ackermann (guitar/vocals) announced.
Joining Ackermann are Dion Lunadon (bass guitar) and Robi Gonzalez (drums). “I met Dion when he lived in Los Angeles a long time ago but he doesn’t even remember it,” Ackermann said. “We hung out all day and night but I think he completely forgot.”
Eventually they were looking for someone to play bass in the band and Lunadon tried out. They played a show in San Francisco and, “he smashed his face with his bass,” Ackermann explained. “It was bleeding all over the place and then we were like ‘that’s the guy’. He was definitely in so that was that.”
About a year ago they were looking for a drummer. Several people tried out but, “there was this song that nobody could drum because it had some ridiculously fast speed,” Ackermann said. “When Robi came in to try out he played it!”
The trio is currently working on their fourth studio album. “We keep writing all these really good songs. I don’t know how it’s going to come together as an album, but we keep on doing some really neat stuff,” Ackermann said.
“I feel like the best songs kind of come about when there’s a strong emotion. Whether you were pissed off at something, or you’re madly in love with something or you desperately want or don’t want something,” he continued. “You want to be singing about something, have some sort of reason behind what you’re doing.”
A new song may even make it into their live set. “Once you write a good song you get a little bit too excited and want to play it,” Ackermann explained.
In addition to the upcoming album, a tour with Japandroids will take place later in the month followed by a European tour in the fall. “I think we might even be going to Taiwan this year, which is really exciting,” Ackermann said.
But playing with APTBS isn’t all that Ackermann likes to do. “I like to work. I like to build stuff. I like to redesign my house. I like to mess around with electronics. I like to walk around in the sunshine. I like to go to shows. I like to eat food, hang out with my friends,” he laughed.
In that spirit it is safe to say that Psycho de Mayo is definitely a good show to hang out with friends and possible eat food too!