Bruges-la-morte.

To most people, Bruges is either a kitschy town filled with lace and chocolates, or the place where disgraced hitmen come to hide.

Not to me.

When I was in high school, we were made to read Rodenbach's Bruges-la-morte and that book influenced forever my outlook on the city.

To me, Bruges is a city of mysteries, ghosts and gargoyles.

Our recent trip to the medieval city did nothing to change that.

It was winter and, as we were hopping from one bar to another and the night progressed, the streets emptied and soon, we were the only shadows walking in the city, the only sound being the echo of our footsteps.

That night, Bruges was filled with a particularly low mist which gave you the feeling that you were walking through clouds.

Add to that the gorgeous medieval buildings and the dim street lights and well, you get a pretty mystical experience.

Yesterday, we were back to that enchanting city to catch a Russian Circles gig.

Boy, were they awesome.

The location in itself was super cool, a big warehouse next to a skatepark.

Once there, we were in for another mystical experience.

That gig was literally one of the best I have ever seen.

The melodies were so powerful and so emotional and soon, the entire audience was communing with them, a sea of heads bobbing in unison.

I see it as no coincidence that their technical team had chosen to bathe them in mist and to make the light come from behind the band, giving it a very haunted like feeling.

As we walked out to our car, once more alone in the misty streets, there it was again, the feeling that the city had a life of its own.

I'm not sure that I really believe in ghosts, but if I did, I definitely know where to find them.

x, K.

Russian Circles * Young Blood