Photos from the Black Lips / The Black Angels show at Mercury Ballroom

Black Lips came on stage last night at Mercury Ballroom full of energy. The drunken cowboy swagger in their music was palpable on stage. They arrived full of punk electricity — impressive, since they have been a band for nearly 20 years. Their antics on stage were rowdy and they were a superb opener as their manic energy laid the groundwork for the Black Angels' hypnosis to set in. The Black Angels were the opposite side of the coin last night, sneaking on stage under near darkness until the 16mm projectors started casting the an ever-present amalgamation of colors and visuals over the band. Illuminated by a frenzy of imagery, the band constantly skipped around their catalogue, never being bound by a new-vs-old mentality. The reverb poured out of the speakers and the hypnosis set into the crowd. Whether one was looking for a visual or aural freak out last night, both were there in droves. We all may still be hypnotized.