10/10
by Esme on 10/15/24The best concert EVER! Loved the environment, loved how passionate they were!
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Ten years ago, Greg Gonzalez was having a really rough Valentine's Day. Freshly heartbroken with no hope of reconciliation, he spent two hours driving from his hometown El Paso to play a show, and he listened to Sade's "By Your Side" on repeat both ways. "The experience that day stuck in my bones--it was an idea that I couldn't forget," says Gonzalez, the frontman of Cigarettes After Sex. "I thought, how do I make a record that feels like that?"
Filled with raw, imagistic, sometimes smutty vignettes set to entrancing, slowburn pop songs, Gonzalez knows how to capture every emotion a romantic arc inspires. But where previous albums have drawn from an amalgam of relationships, for the most part, his anticipated third album 'X's' centralizes on just one relationship that spanned four years. "The record feels brutal," admits Gonzalez. "I could sit and talk about this loss to someone, but that wouldn't scratch the surface. I have to really write about it, sing about it, have the music, and then I can start to analyze and learn from it. Or just relive it--in a good way. I don't have that Eternal Sunshine-thing of wanting to forget."
This period was one of immense personal growth for Gonzalez, but it was also during these years that Cigarettes After Sex--completed by drummer Jacob Tomsky and bassist Randall Miller--hit staggering new levels in their career, transitioning from a preeminent indie act to one of the most globally accomplished acts across any genre.
And still, Cigarettes After Sex maintain their mystique, fans sharing their music like an illicit secret and this poignant ten song collection will certainly stoke the flames. While continuing to observe classic pop song structures, Gonzalez has moved away from the prior sonic touchstones of the '50s and '60s, finding himself now drawn to a '70s/'80s slow dance. While (in typical Cigarettes style) these changes may be subtle, the overall resulting energy is akin to disco ball-refracted tears on the dance floor.
The best concert EVER! Loved the environment, loved how passionate they were!
The exit we took let us straight outside, we were unable to purchase any merch after the concert. :(
Highly Recommend! Dont Miss Out On A Great Opportunity!
I loved every single part of it, it was ethereal and even where I was sitting (which was very far) I could hear and see perfectly. I need to go see them again for sure
Scheduled for 8pm. No openers no encore. Played for an hour. Disappointed.
Music is nice for the fans new and old. Concert was stated to start at 8, but the band didn't get on stage until 9. No opening acts, no encore. Set was roughly 1 hour 20 minutes, one of the shortest concerts I've seen in the past 20 years. So the review is mainly for the short set (as expected as other fans mentioned), but it doesn't help that he band started an hour late, not much talking, bunch of Tik Tok/IG type of young fans excited, but no real experience with other shows that have at least 2+ hours. For comparison, Billy Joel was playing down the street, started at 8:45pm, ended his set closer to 11pm. Had guests that showed up, lots of stories and interactions with the fans. Typical concert fanfare. So CAS is mainly if you want to see them live, but the music would have been fine if you put on a Spotify playlist and listened to them privately.
I purchased VIP tickets because the package promised a meet-and-greet with the band before the concert, along with a few other perks. However, a month ago, I was informed that the meet-and-greet was canceled, which was extremely disappointing since that was the main reason I paid so much for three tickets. Additionally, I was instructed to arrive at 5 PM for a VIP event, despite the concert not starting until 8 PM. When we arrived on time, there was absolutely nothing planned. The only things offered were a poster, a VIP pass, and access to buy merchandise. It was incredibly frustrating to wait outside in the cold for three hours, only to realize I could have arrived 30 minutes before doors opened, bought my merchandise, and gone inside. To make matters worse, the band didn’t start until 9 PM and only performed for an hour, despite having three albums to draw from.Overall, the experience was disappointing and underwhelming. If you’re going to charge VIP prices, the experience should match that, not feel like a standard ticket with minimal extras.
Based on the cost the show was relatively short. I do think mid-level bands like them still benefit with partnering with opening acts.
Concert started an hour late but it was just overwhelming beautiful. They were so amazing and I cried my eyes out listening to them live. I 100% recommend seeing them live as it’s the most beautiful concert you’ll experience. ??
I loveeeee it!!!! They are my favorite group and I wait for like 3 year to finally get a ticket ?? I love their music and the vibes that they transmitted during the concert I would recommend to go to the concert if you like calm music, also I was in the floor section so I had an amazing view, I was really happy and I almost cried:’)
Regarding staff: parking directors/scanners, security bag checkers, floor attendants, beverage providers - all were NICE, professional, expedient and kind! Like, everyONE! So that alone is a win. The show started an hour late but that’s cuz getting to the actual was a mess and there was traffic everywhere and so I think the Forum wanted to wait till the seats got filled being that it was a sold out show. If they had not waited an hour, probably at least 40% of the people that bought tickets would have missed the first hour of the show.
super easy and organized going in & exiting, concert was amazing
Sound was great. Band was amazing. Sounded really clean. I loved it.
10/10 concert. the visuals, the sounds. it was so good. they played all their fan favorites. such an amazing experience to be in the audience. so captivating all u can do is be seated the entire time and just watch! my shows were both at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles.
Good concert! Sound was great, staff is always good! The only thing that wasn’t the best was that the forum posted that the show would start at 8pm and it started at 9pm (even with no openers) but that wasn’t an issue!
The concert was absolutely amazing. Can’t compare it to any other one because this was my first one but it definitely didn’t disappoint. They sounded exactly how they would have if you were listening to them on a streaming platform. Absolute perfection.
Their performance was amazing, the entire stadium was in a trans of how amazing they were, can't wait till they come back to LA.
The show was good, the band sound just like the record. The show was full of under aged kids and turned into a very slow night I almost felt asleep, so I went to él’s Mile High to see Hippie Death Cult, to wake up!
My third time seeing them perform. The only perform to fill up the whole venue. They made my weekend. I would do a fourth time.
Exceeded my expectations tbh??!!!! Yeah they took a while to show up and perform but it was worth the wait. The visuals were everything!! I loved how Greg constantly interacted with the crowd. He is literally the coolest person ever (main character energy??). He made eye contact with me and I lost it. He also smirked at my friend we were just dying cuz he noticed us?? Overall everything was amazing and I would do anything to do it all over again. Getting GA for this concert was the best decision EVER!!?????? This concert proved that I didn’t need therapy lol