Coming to the Highland Center for the Arts:
A dozen years ago, Mathias Kom collected some of his songs and started a band called The Burning Hell, named after a religious tract handed to him by a wide-eyed zealot in Toronto. Mathias subsequently invited friends to join him in performing songs about seagulls, shopping malls, and the similarities between love and hurricanes. Over the next ten years (and almost as many albums), the lineup and sound of the Burning Hell have changed often, but the band has remained idiosyncratic and unclassifiable—much to the delight of those who love them. The constant is Kom’s singular outlook on the world: wise and naive, cynical and life-affirming, full of brilliant, unexpected narratives and a deeply felt generosity of spirit. Tom Robinson of BBC Introducing, a show that discovers emerging UK artists, said, “even Jesus is going to enjoy this, once he finally gets here.” The essence of The Burning Hell is inclusive and celebratory, with live performances that exhibit joy and camaraderie: whether live or on record, there’s something for everyone.
Tickets are $10.