THE WOMBATS / CIGARETTES @ SUNSET – LIVE AT COLLEGE STREET
By Ralph Beauchamp
Cheers to another awesome night of dynamic music hosted by College Street Music Hall. The UK’s The Wombats brought their Oh! The Ocean tour to the venue. In addition, The Wombats enticed Cigarettes @ Sunset to be their opening act. And of course, both bands just blew the roof off of College Street.
So, the universe works in strange ways. A few weeks ago I caught an Instagram reel produced by Cigarettes @ Sunset. I immediately fell in love with their sound. Just over a week ago, AMP featured them in a piece. When I applied to cover The Wombats, I was overjoyed to see that Cigarettes @ Sunset was the opener.
As soon as we walked into College Street, the first thing my photographer, Mark Turek, and I saw was Garrett Dellinger, lead singer/guitarist of C@S, standing by the entrance handing out band stickers. You don’t see many bands playing College Street that up front and personal. It definitely warmed my heart. It’s old school promo and I could see the people filing in really enjoying the intimate touch.
Cigarettes @ Sunset bill their sound as “Possum Rock”. It’s mountain music on steroids with extremely poignant lyrics. Besides Dellinger, the band is comprised of Sarah Vann (Violin), Ryland Bagbey (Lead Guitar), Wells Whitman (Bass) and Ethan Moore (Drums). Their music mashes Americana, folk, punk and everything in-between into a melting pot of glorious grooves. Every song feels cinematic with edgy overtones and fervent vocals. Cigarettes @ Sunset are uniquely fresh and totally singular.
Photos Mark Turek
Live, Cigarettes @ Sunset are simply ruthless. Garrett’s energy is intense. The man is a human dynamo of supersized proportions. Every move delivered an explosive barrage of kinetic spirit. His control of the audience was exceptional. Garrett’s vocals were brazenly emotive and full of stirring textures. I haven’t seen an opener captivate a room so quickly in quite awhile. Every head was glued to the band.
Musically, the band was stellar. Vann’s violin carried weight. Either it was a soothing agent or an instrument of destruction. Bagbey’s guitar flowed with authenticity. Whitman’s bass and Moore’s drums held the beat tight and to the point. They played all they audacious tracks including my favorite, “Theresa”. “Shoulder Blades”, “Great Kid” and “Rewind”, all grabbed the crowd’s attention. They closed out with a ferocious version of “Pavement”. At one point, Dellinger jumped into the crowd and fired up the house. Cigarettes @ Sunset will conquer the world soon and we will all be the better for it. Long live “Possum Rock”.
The vibe inside College Street was electric for the moment The Wombats stepped onto the stage. The historic venue’s intimate layout made every guitar riff and drumbeat feel immediate. It felt like the band was playing in a packed basement rather than a renowned concert hall. When the opening chords rang out, the crowd let out an impressive scream of delight and appreciation.
The Wombats are a British indie rock band formed in Liverpool in 2003, known for their sharp wit, energetic sound, and catchy, synth-infused melodies. Blending indie rock with electronic elements and introspective yet humorous lyrics, The Wombats have built a loyal global fanbase and continued to evolve their sound through subsequent albums and extensive touring. The Wombats are made up of Matthew Murphy (Lead Vocals/Guitar/Keys), Tord Øverland Knudsen (Bass/Keys/Backing Vocals) and Dan Haggis (Drums/Backing Vocals).
Photos Mark Turek
Frontman Matthew Murphy commanded the room with an effortless ease. His vocals were a mix of raw emotion and bold inflections. Knudsen was a wild man traversing the stage like a caged cougar. Haggis’ drums flared with muscular exuberance. The band seamlessly shifted from high-energy anthems to shimmering synth-laced tracks, bathing College Street in waves of colored lights that pulsed in time with the music.
The Wombats‘ 17 song set was stacked with hits as well as deep cuts. Opening with “Moving to New York”, the band delivered song after song. “Techno Fan” ran into “Cheetah Tongue” and “Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want To Come” off their latest album, Oh! The Ocean. After each song, the audience became more and more enthralled. “Ready for the High” brought out a 7 foot wombat sporting a fake trombone. The room was in total rapture. “Can’t Say No”, “Lethal Combination”, “Holy Sugar” and “Lemon to a Knife Fight” had College Street truly immersed. They were singing along to every tune.
By the encore of “Greek Tragedy” and “Let’s Dance to Joy Division”, the entire floor of College Street seemed to bounce in unison. Fans draped over the balcony rails danced as wildly as those pressed against the pit barricade. It turned the venue into a sea of movement and sound. As the final notes faded and the lights came up, the crowd lingered and was reluctant to leave. They continued to bath in the aura of an unforgettable performance.
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