The World Is A Beautiful Place And I Am No Longer Afraid To Die (TWIABP) have announced a live album and documentary titled “Thank You For Being Here” available on October 7th 2022 in commemoration of the one-year anniversary of their 2021 studio album Illusory Walls. Today the band shares a first look at both projects with the release of the live version of “January 10th 2014” (Harmlessness, 2015) and the official documentary trailer capturing the stresses and hardships of touring as an indie band amidst the ambiguity of COVID-19.
“I actually assumed we wouldn’t play this stuff live,” guitarist Chris Teti says matter-of-factly. “Being a live band is really important to us, but we still felt like we had to make this record as personal fulfillment.”
WATCH THE DOCUMENTARY TRAILER HERE
WATCH LIVE VERSION OF “JANUARY 1OTH, 2014” HERE
The World is a Beautiful Place & I am No Longer Afraid to Die is David F. Bello (vocals/guitar), Chris Teti (guitar/vocals/bass/
The live album and accompanying documentary, Thank You For Being Here, is a revealing look at a band hailed by Pitchfork as “a generational voice” in the underground and by Alternative Press as one of the greatest Epitaph Records bands of all time. It’s a rock doc, yes, highlighting the band’s raved-about live show – a blissfully cacophonous swirl of energy, anxiety and catharsis – but also a historical time capsule, capturing America’s tentative re-awakening from the most surreal events in modern times as well as the lengths TWIABP is willing to go to continue their life’s passion.
Featuring a career-spanning live set, including four songs from the highly lauded Illusory Walls along with a full-length documentary, the collection is set against the backdrop of ever-growing uncertainty and high-stakes travel: the strict set of rules the band set internally, constantly changing protocols across the country, and the perils of international travel.
“We had the entire tour package – 20 people – at one CVS getting PCR tests to allow us cross into Canada,” Dvorak remembers. “They couldn’t verify any of our identities. It was a really stressful time, not even sure if we’d be allowed to cross the border.”
As the COVID-19 pandemic spilled into 2021 and TWIABP wrapped their fourth album, Illusory Walls, the Connecticut-formed indie/post-rock quintet had no idea when – or if – they’d get to bring their most ambitious set of songs to audiences. So they waited, watching the calendar as tours got scheduled, postponed, rescheduled and canceled. Eventually, the band knew they had to take matters into their own hands, setting out on a headlining tour in October 2021 amidst the greatest personal and professional uncertainty they’d ever faced.
“Every day was a gamble,” bassist/vocalist Joshua Cyr says. “You’d wake up not knowing if you’re going to be able to play the show that night, or if there’s even going to be a show to play. The whole thing could’ve gotten canceled at any point.”
Throughout their acclaimed career, on beloved albums like 2013’s Whenever, If Ever and 2015’s Harmlessness, TWIABP have swirled richly textured Midwestern emo, snarling post-punk, driving alt-rock and droning new wave, seemingly all with ease. But adapting Illusory Walls songs like “Afraid To Die” and “Queen Sophie for President” quite literally in real time, in front of eager crowds, gives Thank You For Being Here a looseness and spontaneity that cements TWIABP as a must-see act.
‘THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE’ Live Tracklist
1. Afraid to Die (live)
2. Queen Sophie for President (live)
4. Invading the World of the Guilty as a Spirit of Vengeance (live)
5. Died in the Prison of the Holy Office (live)
6. Your Brain is a Rubbermaid (live)
7. Trouble (live)
8. Heartbeat in the Brain (live)
Praise for TWIABP
“The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die have become legends in the indie/emo community for not only their imposing name but for writing some of the most thoughtful and engaging music that scene has to offer.” – Paste
“The darkness that pervades the music and characters of The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die tends to point inward, even as its subjects project outward upon the world around them.” – NPR
“The band’s dense and ornate fourth album sacrifices intimacy and warmth in favor of the most technically proficient and hard-hitting music of their career.” – Pitchfork
“The album is teeming with small details that only unveil themselves upon multiple listens—lyrical references, hidden melodies, and ambient flourishes that makes Illusory Walls an album that won’t fade from your memory any time soon.” – FLOOD
PHOTO CREDIT: BROOKE MARSH