PAKT - Live in Columbus (March 3, 2023) (2024) [Hi-Res]

We travelled from Indianapolis in a torrential downpour for the better part of our drive to Columbus, Ohio for our last-minute show at Double Happiness. This booking was a late addition to our Midwest tour. We had no information about this venue, just going in with an open mind.

As it turned out, arriving in Columbus, the rain ended as we pulled up to Double Happiness, met David, the soundman there, and loaded into a very cool Asian-themed multi-level space. Not much promotion happened for this gig, yet it turned out to be a real nice turnout of fans, and one of our favorite sets of the tour—something special about this place, and our host Yalan Papillons. As it turned out, we found out later, Yalan used to book the Knitting Factory in NYC, where all of us have played back in the day. Most likely she booked some of our shows back then. Instant friends! What a pleasure. The hang was great, but the gig was even better. PAKT, once again, entered musical terrain that we’ve never explored, and even downtempo areas where we sat for a while and let melodies and moods develop. Amazing playing all around from everyone! Aside from Percy’s samples laced throughout the set, Kenny also added crickets as another magic layer to the night’s music. We were happy the Double Happiness gig was recorded, as our Indianapolis show’s recording failed to happen. We were relieved that we received this blessing tonight in Columbus. It serves as a nice document of the kind of beautiful flow of concerts the band has been on. Double Happiness, it indeed was. We all hope our paths meet again at this beautiful stop along the way someday.