Photographs by Janine Van Oostrom.
I’m not entirely what it is that separates a band from the others; what makes them go from 1000 views on youtube to selling out shows all over the world. Well whatever “it” is COIN seems to have it. The Velvet Underground was red hot and burning up as a gang of dedicated (and very loud) fans crowded on in. The night was kicked off with Toronto natives, ROMES. If there is one thing to be said about their performance is that if you didn’t know any better you would have a hard time believing that they were the opener and not the headliner. Whether it was the hearty reaction that they drew from the crowd (I’m surprised that no bras were thrown on the stage honestly) or the way that they effortlessly owned the stage. Either way I can most definitely say I would put them at the top of my list of best opening bands I’ve ever seen.
After ROMES set the bar so high with their opening set I really felt like the night could not get a whole lot better; boy was I ever wrong. COIN took to the stage and instantly they had the entire room in the palm of their hands; from the fangirls in the front to the casual listeners in the back. They were as high paced and energetic as one can possibly get. Without a barrier separating the band from the crowd lead singer, Chase Lawrence, often found himself diving into the grips of the lucky fans in the first few rows.
COIN opened their set with their newest single “I Don’t Wanna Dance” and from there they led into both their biggest hits like “I Would” and “Talk Too Much” and some new songs like “Don’t Cry (20/20)” and “Boyfriend”. To the fans in the crowd it didn’t seem to matter whether a song was unreleased and brand new or a radio hit; they knew every single word. While watching the crowd you could see just how the band absolutely captivated them in a way that I’ve only ever seen a boy band do.
Now I can’t say exactly what separates COIN from the plethora of indie bands trying to break into the scene but I can say that there are several things that make them exceptional. It could be the way that their energy vibrates through the entire crowd, from the front to the very back. Or it could be the way that you can’t help but dance whenever they play. Or even maybe it’s the way that you can genuinely tell just how much they appreciate every single person in the room for showing up. Or it could be their boyish good looks; honestly who knows. All I do know is that there is something special about them, their music, and of course their live show.
