The breezy winds brushed through my hair as I entered Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, New York. The city’s temperatures were just starting to drop, creating an autumnal atmosphere for Cigarettes After Sex’s debut. Eager fans gathered in anticipation, all dressed in shades of black and silver. Everyone curated an outfit suited with the musical aesthetic. I hurried past a sea of knee-high boots and studded chokers to my seat, thrilled for the night ahead. 

Once the sun had set, lead singer Greg Gonzalez and his band took the stage under the stars as dreamy smoke filled the stage. With a minimal stage set, the audience was left alone with just the trio and their music. Opening with “Crush,” a 2018 single, the crowd echoed every word back. Their lush tone evoked moods of candlelit balconies, black and white films and darkened dive bars. Each song has a cinematic approach to the sound—the poetic lyricism created mysterious sensuality. Gonzalez began “Crush” with “I wanna line my walls with photographs you sent/ Of you lying in your swimsuit on the bed/ Can’t live without your love inside me now/ I’ll find a way to slip into your skin somehow.” The imagery immediately put the listener in a hazy bedroom, feeling overwhelmingly in love.

A newer song, “Pistol,” tells the story of yearning for a previous relationship. “I know if I saw you/ And we kissed just once/ You could be happy/ Maybe you’d come back/ ’Cause I really miss you/ Don’t know how much more I can take.” The boyish language explains Gonzalez’s aching heart. He began the song by using a “pistol” to take a shot in the dark, metaphorically alluding to a lack of conversation between the two partners. But Gonzalez does not mind “wast[ing] his time,” as the love he feels for her is immense.

Singles, such as “Heavenly,” include striking black and white artwork that speaks to the musicality of the song itself. When the trio played those songs, the blank screen surrounding the stage lit up with an animated version of the artwork. Just as the songs came to life through their live performance, their artistic physicality did as well. A rose burned behind Gonzalez as he swooned over his partner’s every word in “You’re All I Want.” The imagery created a stunning backdrop for every song, fully immersing the audience.

“Cry,” a personal favorite of mine, brought the crowd to a melodramatic lull. Gonzalez describes in an interview with Paper Magazine that each time he felt chemistry with another, touring with the band almost always hindered a possible relationship. The lyrics describe his partner “saying you’d wait for me to stay,” but unfortunately his heart could never remain faithful. The simplistic chords reveal Gonzalez’s mournful sentiment. As the second chorus ends, the music comes to a gradual swell and jarring release, resembling the painful emotions that come with romance itself. I encourage listening to this distressingly-heavy song staring out of the Metro North window—you will feel all the feels. 

After playing their iconic hits “Apocalypse” and ‘“K.” under the illusory disco ball, the band returned to the stage for their encore piece, “Opera House.” The song is incredibly romantic—so much so that the entire stadium swayed their flashlight to the beat. As the song begins with “Built an opera house for you in the deepest jungle,” the lyrics imply that Gonzalez would do anything for the one he loves, even if it means pulling out all the stops. Grand gestures and harsh realities are recurring lyrical themes. Gonzalez describes the crushing feeling that comes with all-encompassing love through his constant reiteration of “I was meant to love you” throughout the entire chorus. After the music crescendoed, the band took their final bow and exited the stage, leaving their audience overcome with emotion. Cigarettes After Sex performed a stunning concert full of infatuation, melancholy and wistfulness. If you ever have the chance to see them live, do not forget tissues.