If your idea of a perfect night out involves dark synthesizers, heavy guitars, and the feeling that you’ve just walked into the opening credits of an 80s horror film — April 25 at Higher Ground in South Burlington is your night. Dance With The Dead comes to the North Country border region, and they do not arrive quietly.
The Los Angeles-based duo has spent years carving out a distinct corner of the synthwave underground, building a devoted following on the strength of music that refuses easy categorization. Equal parts cinematic score, metal-adjacent guitar work, and synthesizer-driven electronic production, their sound pulls from the neon-soaked aesthetics of 80s horror while pushing toward something heavier and more visceral than most of their peers attempt.
It is the kind of music that sounds enormous in the right room, and Higher Ground is exactly the right room. South Burlington’s premier live music venue has a reputation for delivering sound and atmosphere that serve the music — which matters when the music itself is built for impact. Dance With The Dead’s cult following tends to show up ready, and that energy feeds back into the performance.
Synthwave as a genre has grown well beyond its niche origins, but Dance With The Dead operates at its most committed edge — artists who take the aesthetics seriously and execute them with genuine craft. If you’ve heard the name and been curious, a live show is the answer.
Doors at 8:00 PM. Tickets available now through Ticketmaster.