The faces this queer guitarist makes when they're playing are horrifyingly sublime

There are many reasons to see PWR BTTM live, but the 37th or 38th most important reason has to be the faces guitarist Ben Hopkins makes when they perform.

From grief…

To anger…

To existential regret…

To the sick, smug, self-satisfying pleasure of telling someone that Ashlee Simpson is Diana Ross’ daughter-in-law…

Hopkins contorts their facial musculature through every stop on the emotional spectrum, a sight made only more intense by drummer Liv Bruce’s comparatively cooler, lineface emoji-but-make-it-fashion demeanor.

It’s as if all these feelings are battling for control over Ben’s craft store-splattered face, like two eagles hate-fucking their way down to earth in a death spiral while wearing the tragicomic masks of Ancient Greek theatre.

In short, it’s truly something beautiful to behold.

And did I mention that PWR BTTM make an effort to ensure that the venues they play provide gender-neutral bathrooms for their trans and gender-nonconforming fans—a right that many state and local legislators are actively working against right now? Because they do. Anyway, if you need any more convincing that you should maybe catch the band live sometime (they’re supporting Ra Ra Riot’s North American tour at the moment), here’s the NPR live performance video from whence all the aforementioned visages sprang.