The World is a Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid to Die

Connecticut emo crew The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die can include anywhere from four to 14 members onstage at once. It may seem like a lot, but this mixture of post-rock and post-hardcore requires a wide array of musicians, from horns to spoken word artists, creating some of the most lush and intricate sounds around. With Rozwell Kid, Ratboys.

$16 ($13 adv.; ages 18+).

press release: Connecticut’s The World is a Beautiful Place & I am No Longer Afraid to Die latest single is "Gram."

According to TWIABP vocalist David Bello, “Gram” continues a narrative thread begun on the band’s 2015 sophomore album Harmlessness: the search for care in mental health, and the importance of seeking help in struggling with illness.

“‘Gram’ explores frustrations we’ve encountered with the U.S. pharmaceutical industry, lack of an accessible government-funded healthcare system, and the deep flaws associated with both elements,” says Bello, noting that several TWIABP members have recently lost their health insurance and been forced to seek care outside of standard treatment options. “We believe marijuana helps people and should be a legal and safe choice for those who may benefit from its use, particularly CBD-related applications.”

As Bello explains, “Gram” also gives a real-life glimpse into the damage of addiction. “Two of us are from WV, and most of us have lived in places where heroin and opiate addiction have been notoriously destructive to the communities and individuals we love,” he says. “The companies who make Oxy, Fentanyl, etc. do not care about human dignity. When economies crumble and safety nets are torn apart, the lower class suffers greatly. We wish only the best for those who have passed on in their attempts at self-care and offer our truest love to those who continue to struggle with the stigmas and side effects that come with the use of corporate and non-corporate pharmaceuticals.”

The band’s new album Always Foreign is out on Epitaph on September 29. Along with Bello, Cyr, and Teti, the TWIABP lineup includes Tyler Bussey (guitar, banjo, synth, vocals), Dylan Balliett (guitar, vocals), Katie Dvorak (synth, vocals), and Steven K Buttery (percussion, vocals). Formed in Connecticut in 2009, TWIABP made their full-length debut with Whenever, If Ever (a 2013 release hailed as “revolutionary” by Pitchfork) and later delivered Harmlessness (praised as “bold and complex and dazzling” by Noisey and “grandiose and dramatic” by NPR).