The Cox Capitol Theatre is a place of great history, and it shows in the atmosphere. With the red velvet accents and gold crown moulding stylings reminiscent of the 1930s, mixed with a modern brand of LED lights lining the floors and curtains, the theatre creates an anachronistic aesthetic that works in its favor.
A crowd has gathered on the floor, and a privileged few sit in the box seats flanking either side, attended to by a cocktail waitress.
The opener comes out first, a three-man band called Greyhounds that hails from Austin, Texas. There is a murmur of surprise throughout the first row of the balcony; a couple of audience members mutter that they had either never heard of this particular opener, or that they hadn’t expected City and Colour to use one.
Whether they were advertised or not, they start out strong with a set that, while not necessarily complementary to the band they’re opening for, manages to capture their audience’s attention.
Roadies rearrange the stage, swapping drums with different drums, guitars with different guitars, and keyboards with different keyboards — but they ultimately change little about the the instruments at play. City and Colour use the same ingredients — drums, guitars, keyboards — but are able to create a unique blend of acoustic and post-hardcore instead of blues.
The show was backed by ten powerful lights shuffling through the rainbow, the fog catching its colors and making the illusion of low-hanging, color-changing clouds — fitting for the band’s name.
Their music has more folk influence than its opener and, while both are pretty laid back, City and Colour is more of something you expect to hear around a bonfire in the woods, while Greyhounds is something that would play in a niche coffee shop up north.
City and Colour rounded out the night with a setlist from the band’s most recent album, “If I Should Go Before You,” which got frontman Dallas Green an Artist of the Year nomination.
City and Colour will be touring the United States and Canada until July 2.
Show Rating: 3.5/5
