On the night of August 18, 2023, the three-member band lit up the anxious and patient crowd with their appearance. Fans roared and cheered in the distance, some even cupping the sides of their mouth with their hands while shouting.
While it may seem like the concert was chaotic, it was quite the opposite.
Cigarettes After Sex are mainly known for their top five most popular songs called “Apocalypse”, “Sweet”, “Sunsetz”, and “Cry”. These popular songs are most commonly used on TikTok or other social media platforms.
Apart from the great music, people were dressed up in specific color palettes. Everyone either had white, gray, or black clothing on. Many had on black flowy skirts, others had t-shirts of the band’s merch, and others just wore basic black pants with white shirts. The different styles really caught my attention. They all had their own sense of style, but still managed to follow the theme of the concert.
There was even a moment when the entire crowd held up their flashlights, causing a “white ocean”.
While many fans were there to enjoy the moment, some were not as respectful while doing so.
In my experience attending this band’s concert, I was faced with two girls constantly standing up. They would take out their phones and record, disregarding the people sitting behind them. For the most part, I could see half the stage from where I was seated, but my sister’s view was completely blocked. It had gotten to the point where I got irritated, and so did the people sitting behind me. They tapped on my shoulder, and said “Excuse me, can you please ask those two girls to sit down? We can’t see anything from here.” I nodded.
After telling them to sit down because none of us could see correctly, they didn’t get back up. It may seem as if they were just excited and nervous to see the band, but they should have t acknowledged that standing up while being in the front of the row wasn’t the best decision.
The rest of the concert was calming.
For me, the band’s songs really make me feel something andmake me emotional at times. Even if I don’t resonate with most of them, the tune and lyrics make me sad and sleepy, no matter how happy or energetic I am at the moment. Cigarettes After Sex’s songs are the kind you canjust play, lay on your bed, cry (for no particular reason), and fall asleep.
Besides the great performance and soft voice from the Lead Singer Greg Gonzalez, The visual and set-up was incredibly done. They would play clips of a sad woman crying in the background during some songs. And on the sides of the stage were big screens showing Gonzalez singing.
The first song they played was my personal favorite, called “Crush”. This song is about having a crush on a close friend, even having romantic thoughts with them. The slow beat of this song soothed everyone in the theater.
“Thank you L.A, thank you so much for having us here. This next song is called Apocalypse,” said Gonzalez. The crowd cheered loudly. Apocalypse was the last song they played.
The concert lasted about one hour, which was kind of ironic to me, considering it took me two hours to get there.
Apart from that, this was such a unique and dreamy experience for me. It was like being in heaven. I do look forward to attending more of this band’s shows. They’re a great way to relieve stress and make you forget about all your life problems. You’re just there in the moment.