Cigarettes After Sex at Rogers Arena in Vancouver – Live Review

On Sept. 27, 2024, Cigarettes After Sex brought their new headline world tour X’s World Tour to Vancouver’s Rogers Arena. The show was led by Greg Gonzalez — the founder of the El Paso dream pop trio. Gonzalez, a jack of all trades, is also a producer of their music, alongside being the lead vocalist, electric and acoustic guitarist. Joining him were Jacob Tomsky on drums and Randall Miller on bass. 

While doors opened at 6:00 PM, the show didn’t start until 9:00 PM. Strangely, there was widespread confusion among the concertgoers about the concert beginning at 8:00 PM, leaving many fans visibly confused when their assumed start time came and went. Similar to their past tours, Cigarettes After Sex did not have an opener for the show, instead playing a series of songs alongside graphics and music videos. This established the first step of the calming vibe of the rest of the concert. 

The show was mostly seated, with those in the occasional fan standing at their seats for a few short songs in addition to the half-empty pit. The energy of the crowd was a reflection of the dream-like nature of the performances — serene and introspective. Interestingly, there was a clear dress code that visibly fell into place without pre-planning; all-black attire. Throughout the venue, there were countless wearers of leather jackets and Doc Martens. Funnily enough, these outfits matched perfectly with that of the performers’. For once, I felt right at home with my all-black concert photographer attire. 

“I’ve missed you, Vancouver! It’s so good to be back,” lead vocalist Greg Gonzalez stated shortly after the show began. The crowd full of over 15,000 attendees cheered loudly to the few comments Gonzalez made sparingly throughout the show but otherwise stayed rather quiet. The energy seemed to noticeably increase as songs such as “Cry,” “Sweet,” “Sunsetz,” “K.,” and “Apocalyse” were played. 

The show lasted for just over 80 minutes. The musical skill of the artists was undeniable and flawless. The voice of the lead singer, known for his unique and androgynous sound, echoed through the arena, establishing a soothing, emotional vibe. It was impressive how the band was able to make an arena of over 15,000 feel like an intimate space. All the songs sounded uncannily similar to that of the recorded version, which is both surreal to hear and somewhat disappointing for those who expected more. The stage design was extremely minimal, with 3 large screens behind the artists alternating between a solid coloured background, black and white displays of the respective artists, or a simple nature video. The use of lighting design was the only use of fancy stage production — from vertical light beams forming pillars around the stage to shimmering disco balls. Coupled with the lack of fan interaction and talking in between songs, it was evident that this concert was simply a place for fans to enjoy music. 

The lead vocalist interacted with fans more towards the end of the show by walking closer to the fans in the barricade to hand away guitar picks to those who could reach them. It was sweet how he never threw the guitar picks, choosing to gently pass them hand-to-hand, which was touching to watch. The band also exchanged some other trinkets with the crowd near the barricade, such as Tomsky’s drum sticks, Miller’s guitar picks, the show setlist printed on a piece of paper, and some gifts from fans. Besides this, most of the concert went without fan interaction. There was very little verbal communication from the band to the fans, with only one short introduction to the next song by Gonzalez. This helped create a sense of mysteriousness, but also confusion in newer fans. 

Cigarettes After Sex in Vancouver, BC was overall a pretty good show. While some may be disappointed with the lack of production and fancy performances, many fans understand that this exact mysteriousness is what the band is known for and what makes them so loved. It’s amazing to see how much the band has grown since spontaneously recording their first EP in a four-story stairway at Gonzalez’s alma mater in 2008. I, for one, can’t wait to see what other music they put out in the future. 

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All Photo Credit: Olivia Yu