The band was initially scheduled to close out the three-day psychedelic rock festival Desert Daze in Perris on Sunday, Oct. It was clear from the start that the crowd was in for a carefully curated setlist of narrative arcs driven by love, lust and heartbreak. The instrumental reverb-driven guitars and subtle vocal cadences are emblematic of a group that is modest in spirit. Throughout the night, the band hardly addressed the crowd, but cheers erupted when Gonzalez appeared to move closer to the edge of the stage and crowd.
Does this slow-burn pop, driven by unique, raw and smutty storytelling, feel appropriately housed in an arena? The Cigs fandom is undoubtedly growing, and the packed arena tours with fans illuminating the dark-lit venues with their cell phone flashlights in unison are one of many testaments to that.
Since coronavirus restrictions began easing in , ticket sales and attendance were primed to bounce back, and this new era of entertainment opened the floodgates to stadium and arena tours. Suddenly, it felt almost required for all major performers to book arena-style tours, from rising pop star Sabrina Carpenter to reuniting acts like Oasis.
These acts and the many others who have followed may stand in contrast to Cigarettes After Sex, whose mellow shoegaze sensibilities fall somewhere between Mazzy Star and Cowboy Junkies. Yet, the true indicator of stardom is the fans, and in this case, they showed up in droves to groove in the energy emitted from the group. That is an ideal match best sparked between the artist and the audience. Some fans left smiling, while others walked off holding hands or under the arms of their significant others.
By Charlie Vargas cvargas scng.
