NIGHT ONE OF TWO WAS DEFINITION OF ‘SOLD OUT’

Texas dream pop icons Cigarettes After Sex headlined two sold out shows at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. Having attended a plethora of performances at the venue, this was unlike anything I’d experienced before. Cars lined the busy streets leading up to the venue, with a usual 10 minute breeze turning into a 40 minute nightmare. A collision a few cars behind myself prompted me to walk the remainder of the way with mere minutes to spare. Sweat beamed across my scalp as I received my photo pass and wondered just why the traffic was on another level.

Due to a seated pit area, photographers were prompted to shoot from the soundboard. A film mirroring shorts of the silent film era played on both screens of the amphitheater with moody music like The Smiths ushered fans to their seats. With the disastrous traffic dilemma down the hill, the set time of the band was pushed around 15 minutes. 9:15PM hit and the film stopped and the lights no longer illuminated the venue. Cheers of fans holding black merch bags and vinyls let out as all three members of Cigarettes After Sex walked on stage, guided by a single spotlight of white light. Reminiscent of the ending scene to Close Encounters of the Third Kind, singer Greg Gonzalez entered last via the middle of the stage and strapped on his guitar before welcoming the audience with “Crush.” The rays of light allowing minimal brightness to the stage danced with the more overwhelming shadows, as the band played in the darkness most of the time.

With little to no stage banter, the band kept the hits coming as arguably most known ballad “Nothing’s Gonna Hurt You Baby” had the crowd roaring. Enthusiastic fans loosening up at shows is no strange occurrence, but to hear infectious cheers meet every song intro just went to show how dedicated the audience were. Other songs performed included “Falling in Love” and newly released track “Bubblegum.” Cigarettes After Sex delivered a flurry of fan favorites and deep cuts like “Dreaming of You” and “K.” before coming back for an encore of “Opera House,” off their first LP.

Fans singing along were most likely to return the following night for a second helping of sold out showgaze-like ballads. The exit was thankfully not as rough compared to entering the venue, but still there was no real reason to have traffic out of control that much other than the band’s fan base all congregating at once for their performance. While I hope to never repeat this situation, I had to respect the admiration these fans had for Cigarettes After Sex, a feeling Gonzalez should bask in. Check out the setlist here!