Elizabeth Weiss

Cigarettes After Sex at MGM Music Hall at Fenway.

Cigarettes After Sex, known for their dreamy, introspective music, graced Boston with their presence on September 18 during their 2023 North America Tour. The MGM Music Hall at Fenway, located just a 10-minute walk from residential campus, was the perfect venue with a cozy pit. It accommodates 5,009 visitors, ideal for the melancholic atmosphere. 

As the lights dimmed and the band emerged from behind a velvet curtain, the stage transformed. What was once a bleak setup of drums, guitars, and a screen displaying album visuals, morphed into a captivating display of lights and sound.

Spotlights traced each member of the band cementing the realization that this was truly happening. This tied in perfectly with the tease of the group playing a few notes and pausing for the audience to react. The opening song, “Crush,” infused energy into the crowd, and everyone was either swaying along to the rhythm or trying to snap pictures. 

The set list was a phenomenal medley of fan favorites, older tracks, and only one new song, “Bubblegum.”  This has been the only recent release since “Pistol” in 2022 which they excluded from the performance. While top hits “Sweet” and “Sunsetz” evoked joy and everyone danced along to them, others such as “K.” had a chilling effect. 

Their performance of  “Apocalypse” towards the end of the concert was a standout moment showcasing the passion of the fan base and the band’s ability to craft haunting narratives accompanied by melodic instrumentals. Everyone was pulled into a trance when the curtains were drawn to reveal a disco ball reflecting light across the crowd. The line “come on and haunt me, you know you want me” doesn’t even begin to describe how passionate and sexual energy coursing through the pit. The song features a sensual aspect composed of rhythm and harmony contrasting with the story of heartbreak portrayed in the lyrics. 

As an encore, lead singer Greg Gonzalez sang “Opera House” pleasing the eclectic mix of fans at the show. There was a palpable sense of unity as everyone sang alongside each other and many couples slow danced while fake snow fell from the stage into the pit. As a flake fell onto my cheek, I started to recognize how surreal of an experience this concert was. 

Cigarettes After Sex delivered a mesmerizing performance that left the audience yearning for more as the post-concert depression settled in. Their ethereal music, poetic lyrics, and emotionally charged delivery created an unforgettable night. It left us in a state of contemplation and pure bliss.