Sudan Archives Turns the Neptune into a BPM Temple

Sudan Archives, the stage name of violinist and singer/songwriter Brittney Parks, brought her headlining tour to Seattle to support her latest album, The BPM, on Valentine’s Day to gift her fans with an unforgettable show. Witnessing Sudan Archives play a sold-out show in as intimate and delightfully ostentatious a venue as the Neptune Theater was a transcendent experience. The atmosphere in the building was thick with the feeling, sights, and scents of love. Throughout the performance she pulled bow after bow from the quiver on her back, like a dreadlocked Cupid, sending arrows of love to all the lovers who made the excellent choice to spend the night in her presence.

Sudan Archives effortlessly slipped and swayed between her multiple personas in the pursuit of the perfect vibe for the moment. She has called this her “Gadget Girl” era, touching on themes of independence and self-exploration in creating her sound just as she has envisioned it. Brittney’s performance was a confident display of her musical skills, sonic influences, visual narrative, spiritual expression.

Sudan Archives played a mix of mainstay hits from her first two albums, Athena and Natural Brown Prom Queen, such as crowd pleasers “Freakalizer,” “Selfish Soul” and “Not for Sale.” The BPM ratcheted up when she dropped beat-heavy tracks off of her album, such as the title track, recently released single “My Type,” and the absolute banger “A Bug’s Life.” Brittney alternated between dancing to her own beats, banging on drum pads, strapping into her v-shaped spaceship of an electric violin, and plucking out lines on a traditional violin with the ease of someone confident in their ability.

Crowd interaction and connection is a hallmark of a Sudan Archives concert. She got the crowd into a frenzy when she invited not one but two different starstruck fans onstage to dance their hearts out on her lit-up podium. The real surprise of the night was during her first encore when she ventured into the crowd to split down to middle forming an impromptu Soul Train-style dance line. Sudan’s faithful fans let loose to celebrate themselves and the experience Sudan Archives curated on a special Valentine’s Night.

Words: Grace Scrivo