On Saturday, September 28th, 2024, while many students were at the Homecoming dance,
there were some who, instead, opted to go to a concert.
Cigarettes After Sex is a popular band, boasting almost 28 million monthly listeners on
Spotify. Just scrolling on TikTok, you might hear an audio featuring a clip from one of their
songs, such as Apocalypse or K. Their soft, dreamy sound and lyrics about relationships and love
bring a lot of appeal for people of many ages, so on the night of the Homecoming dance, thirty
minutes away, Climate Pledge Arena was packed with fans of the alternative band.
Unlike what many artists choose for their tours, there was no opening act. It was an
interesting choice, but one that I found worked quite well with the overall tone of the show.
Usually the opener will be bands or artists who make similar music, or fall under the same genre,
and the intention is to build up hype and energy for when the headliner, or main artist
performing, gets onstage. However, with this concert, there were two things I noticed that made
me feel the show was better without an opening act: firstly, the people who were there were all
fans of Cigarettes After Sex. Now, that may seem obvious, but it’s not uncommon to go to a
concert just to see one of the openers, and not having that meant that there was a unique sense of
connection with everyone there. Second, there was no other band’s music or energy that you
could think about, during the whole show I was focused solely on Cigarettes After Sex, and I
only realized after the fact how truly nice that felt.
As for the music itself, the setlist was a great balance of their more popular songs and fan
favorites, featuring Sweet, Cry, K., and Apocalypse. They also included the song Sesame Syrup,
which was a fan requested track and was very well-received by the audience. There were plenty
there were some who, instead, opted to go to a concert.
Cigarettes After Sex is a popular band, boasting almost 28 million monthly listeners on
Spotify. Just scrolling on TikTok, you might hear an audio featuring a clip from one of their
songs, such as Apocalypse or K. Their soft, dreamy sound and lyrics about relationships and love
bring a lot of appeal for people of many ages, so on the night of the Homecoming dance, thirty
minutes away, Climate Pledge Arena was packed with fans of the alternative band.
Unlike what many artists choose for their tours, there was no opening act. It was an
interesting choice, but one that I found worked quite well with the overall tone of the show.
Usually the opener will be bands or artists who make similar music, or fall under the same genre,
and the intention is to build up hype and energy for when the headliner, or main artist
performing, gets onstage. However, with this concert, there were two things I noticed that made
me feel the show was better without an opening act: firstly, the people who were there were all
fans of Cigarettes After Sex. Now, that may seem obvious, but it’s not uncommon to go to a
concert just to see one of the openers, and not having that meant that there was a unique sense of
connection with everyone there. Second, there was no other band’s music or energy that you
could think about, during the whole show I was focused solely on Cigarettes After Sex, and I
only realized after the fact how truly nice that felt.
As for the music itself, the setlist was a great balance of their more popular songs and fan
favorites, featuring Sweet, Cry, K., and Apocalypse. They also included the song Sesame Syrup,
which was a fan requested track and was very well-received by the audience. There were plenty
of songs that you would be more likely to know if you were an actual fan of the band, too, like
Tejano Blue or John Wayne, but even though I did not know all of the songs, I loved every one.
The venue was not quiet by any means, but it was peaceful, and the fact that the venue
can hold more than 18,000 people made that all the more incredible. Seeing a show with no
opening act was something new to me, and looking back after the show it is a choice I am glad
that the band made. Rather than being a high-energy performance with bright colors and props, it
felt like this concert was solely about the music and the experience of listening to it live.
One of my favorite things about the whole show was the lights. Throughout the course of
the concert, the band took great advantage of Climate Pledge Arena’s lighting system, creating a
breathtaking atmosphere. The arrangement of the spotlights, the assorted positioning and height
created an ethereal sort of image. During the final song, before the encore, two disco balls came
down from the ceiling, and it was incredible. The small lights scattered around the arena had a
magical feel to them, especially when paired with the music.
Though I did not initially expect to enjoy the show much more than I would enjoy any
other concert, in the end, I found it an exciting experience and one that I find a valuable memory.
There is a sense of connection that can be found at any concert, and in the future if anyone is
considering going to a Cigarettes After Sex concert, I would highly recommend it.
Tejano Blue or John Wayne, but even though I did not know all of the songs, I loved every one.
The venue was not quiet by any means, but it was peaceful, and the fact that the venue
can hold more than 18,000 people made that all the more incredible. Seeing a show with no
opening act was something new to me, and looking back after the show it is a choice I am glad
that the band made. Rather than being a high-energy performance with bright colors and props, it
felt like this concert was solely about the music and the experience of listening to it live.
One of my favorite things about the whole show was the lights. Throughout the course of
the concert, the band took great advantage of Climate Pledge Arena’s lighting system, creating a
breathtaking atmosphere. The arrangement of the spotlights, the assorted positioning and height
created an ethereal sort of image. During the final song, before the encore, two disco balls came
down from the ceiling, and it was incredible. The small lights scattered around the arena had a
magical feel to them, especially when paired with the music.
Though I did not initially expect to enjoy the show much more than I would enjoy any
other concert, in the end, I found it an exciting experience and one that I find a valuable memory.
There is a sense of connection that can be found at any concert, and in the future if anyone is
considering going to a Cigarettes After Sex concert, I would highly recommend it.
