In 1999, a band then named Breaker Morant began playing together. Sixteen years later, they played two home shows in Austin – now named Explosions in the Sky with six studio albums, four soundtracks – in support of a new LP called The Wilderness that was released on April 1.

The rather small venue that is the Paramount Theater was the perfect setting for the performances. It allowed for an intimate show where every fan could really hear and appreciate every note being played. The audience was packed with hardcore fans, many who attended both shows.

Being new to Explosions in the Sky’s music and knowing they were solely instrumental, I was expecting a boring show that just dragged on; but I was 100 percent wrong. The set was short but it was  high energy and engaging. The band played one song right after the other only stopping to speak once.  A huge part of the show were the lights – a big visual component but not overpowering or distracting from the music.

With this being my first experience with this type of music, I really admired the type of talent it takes to actually pull this off. Since there are no lyrics or singing, no mistakes can be made. The guitar players really were the MVPs; most of the songs were guitar heavy, so they were literally carrying the show on  their shoulders. Looking back on the show, all I can really say is that Explosions in the Sky are better than good. They are incredible.