COIN / AIDAN BISSETT LIVE AT COLLEGE STREET MUSIC HALL

By Ralph Beauchamp

On 10/19, COIN brought their “I’m Not Afraid Of Tour Anymore” tour to College Street Music Hall in New Haven with Aidan Bissett for direct support.

College Street was pretty packed by the time opener Aidan Bissett hit the stage. Bissett is a rising star constantly climbing the ranks of Sirius XM’s Alt Nation’s playlist. His style of poppy alt music is infectious. His voice carries a propulsive energy that fills any room with vibrant textures. On stage, Bissett delivers a magnetic draw that commands attention. He seems to be able to connect with the audience on a truly personal level. His sound is soulful and has a singular tone of its own. Since 2020, Bissett has dropped a series of lively singles that has captivated the music world.

On this night, Bissett and his band had a dynamic presence. He opened with the fluorescent “Out Of My League”. I was surprised by how many people had come to see Bissett. From the first note, a good portion of the pit was singing along. “All That I’m Craving” came next and the crowd was totally into it. Bissett played all his big hits including “Planet”, “Ultraviolet” and “Bloom”. He even popped in a couple of new songs from his forthcoming debut album. “People Pleaser” was one of them.

Photos Mia Palazzo

In addition, Bissett’s audience engagement had a cool component. At one point, he jokingly pointed out one fan who had his arms crossed the entire time. It was a good laugh. Bissett closed out with his huge hit “Tripping Over Air”. The College Street horde really enjoyed the emboldened set. I’m looking forward to his imminent full length.

As soon as COIN hit the stage, a large roar ensued. This was the band everyone had come to experience. COIN originated in Nashville in 2012. The group is comprised of Chase Lawrence (Lead Vocals/Synths), Ryan Winnen (Drums) and Joe Memmel (Guitars/Backing Vocals). Matt Martin (Bass) has been a touring member since 2018. COIN has released six studio albums with the last being 2024’s I’m Not Afraid of Music Anymore.

Opening up with two songs from INAOMA, COIN set the mood for the evening. “It’s Hard to Care About Everything” and “Take It Or Leave It” had College Street in a beautiful haze. Their music is full of enlightened elements and sublime cadences. COIN‘s set was heavily influenced by their new album and their 2020 release, Dreamland. “Chapstick” off Uncanny Valley (2022) had the audience floating on air. It is one of their top tunes. Everyone was swaying along to the audacious beat. “Chapstick” just kicks ass and COIN destroyed it live. “I Want It All”, “Asking For A Friend”, “Slack” and “Valentine” all followed.

Photos Mia Palazzo

All along Lawrence controlled the stage like a puppet master. His arms flopped about and he raced from one end to the other. He was visually quite stimulating. He mentioned that this was their first time in New Haven and he loved the area especially exploring Yale. COIN also created a stimulating immersive experience for their fans with their use of creative lighting and staging. All throughout the set, Lawrence constantly brought the crowd in with his glowing personality. In addition, Winnen’s drums filled the house with an aural edginess. Memmel’s guitars created sonic riffs while Martin’s bass distributed emotive grooves. COIN was on fire.

COIN‘s set consisted of 21 impressive songs. “Hannah” , “222” (with Lawrence starting the song out with a piano solo), “Let It All Out (10:05) and “Problem” were all fan favorites. COIN closed out with three massive tracks. “Malibu 1992” and “Talk Too Much” from 2017’s How Will Know If You Never Try had the throng in pure ecstasy. “Leaving a Light On” was the perfect end. The encore was another of COIN‘s killer tunes. “Crash My Car” sent everyone home with an ear to ear smile on their face. In my opinion, one song was strangely missing from the set. I truly missed “Brad Pitt” but COIN still dropped a fantastic evening of brazen music.

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