Throwing Muses Hits NYC for New Album Purgatory/Paradise

The Boston alt-rock group, around since the early '80s, is back with their first album in 10 years

From the LifeMinute team

It's been a decade since Throwing Muses released an album, but the alt-rock group is back with its latest, Purgatory/Paradise. The Boston natives, comprised of Bernard Georges, Kristin Hersh and David Narcizo, hit New York City's Bowery Ballroom for a pair of shows featuring the return of co-lead singer Tanya Donelly.

"The record has its own atmosphere that has to be reproduced live," said drummer Narcizo, adding that Hersh is the writing force behind the new album. "She just wrote about 80 songs," he says of his bandmate. Guitarist and vocalist Hersh notes that the tone of the record is "a little fragile, a little broken."

And this marks the first time the band will dedicate the majority of its set to the new record. "We've never done that before. We've always gone out and kind of peppered the new material in with the old, so it definitely puts us out of our safe zone," says Narcizo.

Also new for the group is playing with one of the original members, Tanya Donelly. "[She's] joining us for a bunch of songs, bringing Throwing Muses kind of full circle," says Bassist Bernard Georges.

Georges also notes that the band is very fortunate to have the most caring fans whom they wouldn't change for the world -- with the exception of a few psychos. Crazy fan stories include one jumping in front of and inside their tour bus.

"We tried to get into the van, and he was in it, so we just showed him that we're normal dorks and don't act weird," says Hersh, "We were almost in a car accident, and he grinned and said 'There's nothing I want more than to die with Kristin Hersh.' And we're like, 'Ok, you're getting out at the next stop.'"

For the sane concert-goers, the band suggests you show up ready to go along for the exciting ride.

"We don't play for people who expect to be entertained," says Hersh, "We play for people who are active listeners, who expect to be moved, and that means being involved. It means taking a heavy-duty ride and trusting us to drive."

Check out more on Throwing Muses at www.throwingmuses.com.