This past Sunday, October 13th, COIN performed in Pittsburgh at the Roxian Theatre as part of their “I’m Not Afraid of Tour Anymore” tour.
Aidan Bissett opened the show to excited fans in the crowd singing his songs back to him, and even received a bouquet of handmade crochet flowers from one person. “I love a handmade gift because it shows how much time and effort you put in,” he spoke into the microphone to the fan.
I can totally see why he opened on this tour. I thought that his music matched the lighthearted indie pop and sweet,dreamy vocals vibe of COIN’s earlier records. Aidan’s stage presence was incredibly charming, too. He was totally giving rockstar boyfriend/boy-next-door energy, especially with that cheetah print cardigan. His energetic performance felt like the perfect warm-up for the crowd before the headliner. About 45 minutes later around 9:15, COIN took the stage.
This was actually my second time seeing them, with my first being last year at Wonderworks Music Festival at Hartwood Acres outside Pittsburgh. I volunteered to sell merch in exchange for access to the festival before my shift during the headliners in order to see them play. Seeing COIN again confirmed the same feeling I had as when I saw them perform last time: They’re just one of those bands that sound even better live.
For example, I don’t usually listen to the song “Let It All Out” because it just wasn’t one of my favorites, but after seeing them perform it live I left like I finally heard and understood the song in a way I hadn’t before. Being able to see them on their own tour was definitely a totally different experience than last time. I loved the stage design they had going on, although I still never really figured out why they had a tarp across the stage. The band was surrounded by lights that matched up with the music, so the lights would be changing at the same time as the drum beats which allowed for a really captivating experience. I felt like all my senses were engaged at some points, including scent if you count the smell of sweat. (It was very hot in there.)
COIN did participate in a trend I’ve noticed in recent years of artists performing different surprise songs for every show on their tour, and I’m not really sure how I feel about the concept as a whole. On the one hand, it’s a great way to have a chance to hear deep cut favorites, but on the other hand, it almost never works out in my favor in terms of what song I want to hear. Except this time it totally did because the song I wanted them to play was “Heart Eyes”, and guess what they played? HEART EYES! I looked up the setlist from their previous show in Columbus and saw that they played the song, so I wasn’t expecting them to play it two shows in a row. I was in the middle of working my way around the crowd to get photos from a new angle when the lead singer, Chase Lawrence, announced it as the next song they were playing. Stopped dead in my tracks by the announcement, I put my camera down to reminisce and enjoy watching them perform a song I’ve liked since high school.
Although the show wasn’t sold out, the crowd was just as loud as sold out shows I’ve attended at this venue in the past. Everyone was loudly singing along to the upbeat songs, but managed to stay almost silent during the slower moments in the set. This felt like a true testament to COIN’s ability to engage and connect with their fanbase in a genuinely personal way. Their energy and the way they move with the music like they can feel it pulsing through their veins were infectious. I couldn’t think of a more perfect way to end their show than with Chase stating simply, “We are COIN, and so are you.”
Live from the Pitt 