Sudan Archives Transforms Into A Robotic Rockstar At Denver’s Gothic Theatre (SHOW REVIEW/PHOTOS)

Utilizing her signature electric and electro-accoustic violins alongside a keyboard and an electronic drum kit, Sudan Archives’ one-woman show turned Denver’s (or more accurately Englewood’s) Gothic Theatre into a robotic rave. A set of straight, horizontal, bright green lights “loaded” the violin-wielding virtuoso (real name Brittney Denise Parks) into the venue, following a spectacular performance from the opening act suhREEtah (real name Syreeta Briggs). More on Briggs down below.

Robotic rockstar Sudan Archives “loading in” on The BPM Tour (credits: Sam Hovsepian)

Switching between her two violins, Parks unsheathed, brandished, and sheathed her weapon of choice (the bow) like it was some kind of futuristic sword. Accordingly, she slayed the crowd, making deft use of the rest of her arsenal — keys, drums, and pizzicato (or violin finger plucking for the uninitiated) — meanwhile stunning fans with her mix of singing, rapping, and intermittent cackling. 

The sparse stage production (a single pedestal, seemingly meant to elevate and display a new prototype) aided by rigid and mechanical choreography created a mesmerizing spectacle perfectly befitting the sonic transition Parks made into the electro-thumping, built-for-the-club sound that can be found across her last two albums (2022’s Natural Brown Prom Queen and the tour’s namesake, 2025’s The BPM). While her previous, jazzier work (such as her earliest self-titled EP, the Sink EP, and her first full-length Athena) certainly translated well into the live setting (check out “Iceland Moss” and “Black Vivaldi Sonata” from the COLORS series), her most recent works energized the audience in a wholly new way. Starting with an explosive rendition of “DEAD” and transitioning right into “NOIRE”, the ass-shaking momentum was kept at a fever pitch through “MY TYPE”, “MS PAC MAN”, and “Freakalizer”, culminating during the encore with the night-ending title track “THE BPM”.

Warming up the crowd with a spoken-word and rap set over lush strings and pounding drums was West Louisville, KY-native suhREEtah. The way she worked the crowd made it truly hard to believe it was her inaugural tour, as she admits. Self-acclaimed multi-hyphenate (composer, arranger, vocalist, etc.), Briggs proved her chops in the live setting while showcasing her exquisite work in the studio. A particular highlight was her inducing the crowd to create a beat by stomping and clapping, then rapid-fire rapping (flawlessly) over it. Her 2025 self-distributed project thuhDEMO, available on all major streaming services and Bandcamp, is well worth a listen. Undoubtedly Briggs has more sonic blessings to share — be on the lookout.

Photos by Sam Hovsepian