Skip to main content
Sudan Archives and her opening act, Cain Culto, are leaning further into heart-racing pop territory with their music. On the sold-out Portland stop of her BPM Tour promoting the titular album, Sudan Archives performed what she described as a “rave play” with her infectiously danceable new tracks and intertrack stage pantomime pacing that saw the acclaimed violinist wield her violin bow like a sword and navigate different emotional terrains while wearing what looked like video game fantasy armor. Cain Culto—a former Christian worship band leader turned alt-pop demon twink with a gothic “cult leader” persona—connected with Sudan Archives’ Brittney Parks online over mutual admiration and featured her on a remix of his crispy single “KFC Santeria.” The two performed it as part of the show’s finale encore in what turned out to be the most emotionally rewarding moment of the night.
Like Sudan Archives, Cain Culto (Andrew Estevan Padilla) is a strings player, whose new creative direction prioritizes bold visuals, use of bluegrass fiddle with Central American influence, and a fuller use of Padilla’s vocal range than earlier efforts. Padilla still used some of his youth pastor charm at Revolution Hall while warming up Portland for Parks. Though pockets of the audience swelled and moved appropriately to the beats, Portland ultimately proved reluctant to give the artists the full energy they needed for the show.
There were minor glitches in both sets. Padilla seemed overpowered at times by his backing vocal track during “colita de rana” as he donned a mask affixed to a helmet, while Parks’ electric violin seemed to experience a technical malfunction during one song that fortunately cleared up at a moment that felt in sync with the backing music. Parks unfortunately addressed Revolution Hall as Minneapolis enough times that Portland felt compelled to remind her where she really was—we’ll chalk that goof-up to the Trump administration giving our cities too much in common lately, as the artists had visited Mill City only days ago. She laughed it off in seeming embarrassment and all was forgiven.
When Portlanders warmed up and let themselves feel the music, both musicians delivered booty-shaking, soul-stirring moments that felt close to the proudly individualistic direction pop music is headed. Sudan Archives’ “rave play” didn’t have a discernible plot, but paired with a moment when Parks picked someone from the audience to serenade during her song “MY TYPE,” the BPM Tour felt like an indie auteur venturing further into the mainstream. Who sits still during a song called “Freakalizer”? Likewise, when Cain Culto returned to the stage after stripping down to his underpants and an oversized skeleton hand into leather chaps and pointy red botas tribaleras boots, the call-and-response in his song “¡BASTA YA!” with Xiuhtezcatl Martinez seemed to wake up Revolution Hall to its most energetic point.
