Concert Spotlight: Cold War Kids, January 30th @ The Phoenix Concert Theatre
Hello! Welcome to the first of many “Concert Spotlights” – posts which review the (many) concerts that I attend.
The spotlight posts will cover a general review of the show and experience, as well as any memorable (read: bizarre) things that happened, and other tips or things worth mentioning. Each post will end with a four-point rating system, including the opener, venue, audience, and main act overall.
I also want to take the opportunity to share what each artist/band is like live, and whether their shows are worthy investments of your time and money the next time they come around to the city. There are many factors that influence how a concert is received, and there is more to a show than just whether you are a fan of theirs. More on that later.
Given the number of shows that I go to on a monthly basis, I figured it would be a good idea to record and document each concert that I go to. It will be interesting to look back at the end of the year and relive the experiences and memories that I had. We are starting off with a clean slate – January 2020! Let it be filled with many concerts.
The Overcoats @ The Phoenix Concert Theatre
Two weeks ago, I ventured to east downtown to see one of my favourite indie rock bands. I waited in line in the chilly January evening, and was very happy to warm up in the venue once the doors opened and the fair-sized crowd was allowed inside.
The concert opened with Overcoats, an electro pop duo hailing from New York City. Although I have not heard of them before this concert, I really enjoyed their performance and the charisma that they shared on stage. Two of my favourite songs from them were “Nighttime Hunger” and “Fool.”
Midway through their set, they announced their headlining tour in April - so if you’ve checked them out and like what you hear, make sure to follow them on social media and be the updated on their upcoming tour.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisisovercoats/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisisovercoats/?hl=en
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/overcoats-tickets-91893496923?aff=ebdisfseated&clickref=q1Nxo
The main act
opened the show with their upbeat hit “Love Is Mystical” and continued the night with songs from all of their albums released throughout the years. The band’s setlist was about twenty songs long, and included some of their popular hits such as “Hang Me Up to Dry,” “First,” and “All This Could Be Yours.”
I had a chance to see Cold War Kids perform for free at Yonge-Dundas Square, during NXNE 2019 - the free music festival that happens annually in Toronto in mid-June. I really enjoyed their live performance, and decided to attend another one of their ticketed shows. The Cali boys never disappoint, and I will certainly go to another one of their shows should they come back to Toronto.
/ Ratings /
Opener: 9/10
Venue: 7/10
Main Act: 9/10
Crowd/Audience: 10/10
Overall: 8.7/10