The Wonder Ballroom pulsed with energy on Tuesday night as the “Darker Skies Tour” swept into Portland, delivering a powerful, moody, and deeply cathartic night of darkwave, goth, and post-punk. Headlined by the vampiric duo Twin Tribes, the stacked lineup—Forever Grey, Soft Vein, and TRAITRS—captured the full spectrum of shadowy soundscapes, each band adding their own distinct voice to the night’s haunting soundtrack.

Soft Vein opened the night with a gripping, high-intensity set that blended coldwave and industrial influence. Channeling raw emotion through distorted synths and a commanding stage presence, they carved out a darker, more aggressive space in the night’s progression.

Forever Grey continued the evening with a beautifully melancholic set, their dreamy synths and deep, brooding vocals setting an ethereal tone. Their performance was cinematic—more atmosphere than spectacle—and drew the early crowd in with introspective, noir-drenched textures.

Next up, Toronto-based duo TRAITRS delivered one of the standout sets of the night. Their performance was urgent and visceral, brimming with reverb-drenched guitars, pounding drum machines, and emotionally charged vocals. The crowd responded in kind, moving closer, dancing harder, fully immersed. TRAITRS managed to strike that rare balance of being both sonically massive and emotionally intimate.

And then came Twin Tribes—elegant and eerie, hypnotic and heartfelt. From the moment they took the stage, the energy shifted. With their signature fusion of dark romanticism, icy synths, and post-punk rhythms, they had the packed room in a trance. Tracks like “Fantasmas,” “Shadows,” and “Heart & Feather” turned the venue into a swirling sea of motion—shoulder to shoulder, everyone dancing like bats in flight. Their chemistry was undeniable, and their ability to command a room with such minimal yet potent stagecraft speaks volumes to their magnetism.

The “Darker Skies Tour” is a perfectly curated lineup for lovers of goth, post-punk, and darkwave alike—equal parts beauty and gloom, tension and release. Twin Tribes continue to prove that their reach is only growing, and Tuesday’s show felt like both a celebration of the scene and a promise of where it’s heading.