The Evpatoria Report Performance

After Nuonuo bought the tickets, she told me there was a show on a Thursday in October.

"I have badminton on Thursdays, so I might not be able to make it," I said with some regret.

"No worries, if you can't go, we can resell the tickets on Xianyu," Nuonuo replied.

"Whose performance is it?" I added.

"It's a Swiss post-rock band, The Evpatoria Report."

"Then I absolutely have to go!" I quickly responded.

During the three years of the pandemic, without even realizing it, I had lost the habit of going to livehouses for shows. Or perhaps, as I’ve grown older, I’ve gradually let go of music genres that amplify certain emotions to the extreme.

I looked up the band’s information again: The Evpatoria Report, formed in 2002, named after the Yevpatoria Observatory in Ukraine.

In 1999 and 2003, the RT-70 radio telescope at the Yevpatoria Observatory in Ukraine twice sent radio signals representing Earth's intelligent life into the depths of the universe (Cosmic Call 1 & 2), hoping for a response from potential extraterrestrial life.

This reminded me of the track I’ve listened to the most—"Taijin Kyofusho." The slow, slightly melancholic melody at the beginning incorporates the final communication recording between the Space Shuttle Columbia and mission control before its tragic disintegration. The sample ends with mission control repeatedly calling, "Columbia, Houston, comm check," but no response ever comes. Then, the violin gradually rises, pushing the sorrow of the piece to its peak. Layers of instruments and effects build into a dense wall of sound, as if throwing you into a dark, chaotic space that is constantly collapsing and reassembling. Fortunately, the melodies of the violin and lead guitar act like a lifeline, giving you something to hold onto amidst the chaos, as you wait for the noise to gradually fade away. At the end, a sound wave travels from the right channel to the left, then back again, like the fading roar of Columbia’s engines, going out and returning. Finally, everything falls silent.

After the show, I joked with Nuonuo that these "re-employed" older bands clearly couldn’t keep up with the energy—several notes were off during the performance.

During the signing session, Nuonuo, in full extrovert mode, asked if it was their first time in China.

"Yes, this is our first time here."

"How has it been? The weather in Shanghai has been pretty nice lately, right?"

"For those of us who live in the mountains, Shanghai is still too hot."

"You were in Beijing yesterday, and after tonight’s show in Shanghai, do you have plans to explore the city tomorrow? Have you tried any local food?"

"The food here is amazing, the people are amazing, everything is absolutely amazing! We couldn’t resist filming the scenery from the bus with our phones. We didn’t sleep at all last night and flew from Beijing to Shanghai early this morning, so we’ll need a good rest tonight. Tomorrow, we’re off to another music festival, but we’ll definitely be back to explore properly!"