Filipino fans of Cigarettes After Sex got to experience this enchanting effect during the band’s Manila stop of their X’s World Tour on January 14, 2024, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Filling the venue to the brim, eager fans of the band, who are all dressed in black and gray, were treated to a fever dream-kind of night as the show kicked off with a catalogued playlist accompanied with graphics that are true to the band’s brand.
This has set the perfect mood for the evening because as soon as the trio emerged from the darkness, the crowd became more entranced by the dreamlike atmosphere the band created last Tuesday night.
The band curated a setlist consisting of their newer songs and classic hits. Earlier in the show, the band performed some tracks from their third studio album, “X,” including the titular track, “You’re All I Want,” “Dark Vacay,” “Dreams From Bunker Hill,” and “Tejano Blue.”
A deeper level of intimacy was reached when the group began playing some of their fan-favorite hits, such as “Pistol,” “Nothing’s Gonna Hurt You Baby,” “John Wayne,” and “Sesame Syrup.”
This continued after the band serenaded the crowd with “Cry,” “Sweet,” “Sunsetz,” “Heavenly,” “K.,” and “Dreaming of You.”
Perhaps, the latter part of the show was the highlight of the night as the band’s most anticipated song began playing: their classic hit “Apocalypse.” Roaring with cheers, fans sang their hearts out as they swayed gently to the reverb-heavy sound of the ballad.
The show ended with a performance of “Opera House,” with Gonzalez thanking the support of everyone and promising that they would be back sooner.
Staying true to their repertoire, Cigarettes After Sex’s one-night—and not to mention, sold-out—show is equivalent to what nirvana feels like. The trio crafted an ethereal show for their fans and held them under a spell as they transcended into a different universe as elusive as smoke. It was dreamy, indeed.
Cigarettes After Sex’s “X World Tour” was presented by KARPOS.
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