Cigarettes After Sex has recently embarked upon their “X’s” world tour, celebrating the release of their new album “X” previously this year. Beginning on Aug. 31 in Montreal Quebec, the band is set to continue their series of concerts through March 19 of next year.
Having the opportunity to attend their recent concert at Madison Square Garden, I think it’s safe to say the experience was unlike any concert I had attended prior.
To break it down, the length of the concert was about an hour and a half with the majority of the setlist featuring songs from their highly acclaimed album, “Cigarettes After Sex”. Particularly, the popularity of their song “Apocalypse” directed the band to perform the song as expected on the setlist and as their encore.
The song itself represents the fear of vulnerability within new relationships which I can imagine resonates with many fans due to the enthusiasm with which many were singing.
I think the physical state of being able to witness an artist live is also what makes concerts so special and why we tend to value these experiences in different ways.
Oftentimes, people fail to appreciate the beauty of time and the moment they are living in and instead are too focused on being able to look back at the moment digitally through their photos. Watching a concert through a screen instead of taking time to look around and acknowledge you are here experiencing a precious moment takes away from the impact you are left with.
Concerts are a way of bringing people together and helping them define a friendship, relationship or even help them discover a part of themselves.
The vibe of the concert was also constructed through the overall black, white and gray theme reflecting the band’s album covers and genre of music.
This theme appeared to reflect within the “dress code” that fans constructed through the varying forms of black attire I noticed amongst the crowds. The unity amongst fans was evident through their appreciation of this aesthetic and seemed to show respect for the artists and the melancholic tone of their music.
As a whole, the energy of the concert felt SO intimate. Combined with the visuals and the lack of color, there was just something about their music that felt calming and made me feel connected to everyone and everything around me.
Experiencing the music live with others favoring the artist is almost like feeling you’re sharing a part of yourself with everyone there for whatever reason they resonate with the songs. Especially during the last few moments of the show, a mirror ball illuminated the arena, mesmerizing the crowd and influencing the emotional aspect of my own experience.
Listening to “Apocalypse” with my best friend and being able to appreciate the beauty of the lyrics and mood set through the visuals alongside her was genuinely an indescribable feeling, and hopefully, many others felt this impact in similar ways.
Now don’t get me wrong, I love “Apocalypse” and the significance of the song, but personally, my favorite song from the band is “Each Time You Fall in Love”. The song is a lyrical masterpiece if you ask me, depicting the state of feeling unfulfilled within romantic relationships and repeatedly trying to run away or distract yourself from facing those feelings. A mix of longing, confusion and disparity, I believe the lyrics encapsulate the complexity of our human nature perfectly.
If I’m being honest, I did shed a few tears during “Nothing’s Gonna Hurt You Baby,” a current repeat on my playlist and an emotionally touching song for many.
There were a few other particular songs such as “Sweet” which received praise from the audience through their overall harmonization.
However, during many other songs, I did notice the majority of the audience sitting in silence. While I do think this type of music is harder to follow with lyrics and the melody, I couldn’t help but consider if they were feeling a connection to the lyrics or feeling out the beat. The general reaction the audience had allowed me to understand most people likely found pleasure in feeling the beat instead of internalizing the lyrics. Obviously, this doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with either, but I think the more you resonate with the general theme of an artist’s songs, the easier it is to express appreciation for slower concerts such as this one.
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