Pharmakon

I discovered Pharmakon by mistake last year. I was looking at related artist on Spotify and clicked on Beastial Burden by mistake. The very first listen resonated with me, and I was hooked. As soon as, I saw on Songkick that there was a show nearby, I knew I was going.

I'll preface this by saying, I go to a lot of shows each year, and a wide variety of music. The small, intimate nature of Neighborhood Theater was perfect for Margaret's performance. The crowd circled around her assortment of electronic devices and cables. With the first, almost deafening, beat, I knew I was in for a completely different experience. Margaret through every ounce of herself into the performance, wandering through the crowd, making them a part of her and her music.

When she had poured every bit of herself out, she dropped the microphone and walk through the crowd to the bar, leaving you wanting more, but knowing she gave you everything she had.

It was less a concert and more an experience, engulfed almost in oneness with her performance.

Sold as a Pharmakon concert, we saw two bands that opened the show play for almost an hour each, and when Pharmakon came in, she played for 25 minutes (3 songs only). The concert would have been great, had the musician actually played anything. She is indeed a fantastic musician, but this bad joke cannot be called a concert. I asked for a refund and I encourage everyone who went there to do so too, this was a total rip-off.

This was really a show out of the ordinary! It got everyone's full attention. This stage has bad acoustics but Pharmakon managed to drench the murmur. She did not play her more "easier" pieces but I think the harder ones are better seen live so that was good. Love to see her again!

Really exceptional performance. Short, brutal and visceral. An act of pure emotion. Gripping. She commands a presence that I heard someone compare to Nick Cave in the Birthday Party. Highly recommended for everyone, well not everyone.

Brutally beautiful performance. Heavy but surprisingly relaxing at times watching her perform. Left with a feeling that you have just witnessed something very special. Great venue. Support acts were super.