Read this show review by photographer Victoria Holt, for The Stranger, wherein she wonders: Is TJ Cowgill really into Satanism?

• Victoria Holt

"King Dude and Chelsea Wolfe brought their dark and brooding blends of goth-folk to the Triple Door last night, inspiring a crowd of high heeled, black lipstick-ed, statuesque wraiths to fill the room with their adoration. The artists hail from Seattle and Sacramento, respectively, and construct a live experience which is both harrowing and uplifting. King Dude (TJ Cowgill of local project Actual Pain) performed his offbeat Americana in front of a fraying American flag hung on two medieval spikes. Two tall candles lit the scene as him and one bandmate (the third, the drummer, was sitting this show out) sang lyrics like “Tell me what’s that light, Lucifer’s the light.” It made me wonder whether Cowgill is actually into Satanism, or whether it simply serves as interesting song fodder. Either way, it was a stunning performance, his deep growl enough to make every woman in the room’s knees weak. His music sucks the listener down into a very reflective space, but it’s not necessarily negative. He left saying he was going
to remember the night forever, a lovely note to end the
melancholy set on.

• Victoria Holt

Chelsea Wolfe took the stage with a violinist and keyboardist, building a transporting wall of sound which kept growing and undulating. This prophetic ambience held a twang of Americana, like the haunting soundtrack to a Salem witch trial in a crisp New England winter. The room was dead silent as everyone followed her haunting, dreamlike vocals. She swayed, her eyes closed, letting the music take over, sometimes covering her mouth with clasped fingers. King Dude joined her for one song, their voices like vinegar and oil, hers delicate and his coarse. The contrast was deliciously well matched."

More photos after the jump...