On Sept. 20, Cigarettes @ Sunset played a packed out show in Cary, North Carolina, at the Koka Booth Amphitheatre supporting Rainbow Kitten Surprise.
When one hears the term “Possum Rock” used to describe a band’s sound, they’re not quite sure what to expect. The best definition to me is some sort of mix between country, ‘dad’ rock and indie, with an incredible violinist involved. No matter what you want to call it, the Appalachian-raised Cigarettes @ Sunset has definitely figured out how to coin a sound that stays true to them.
Cigarettes @ Sunset have been rocking since 2021. Formed in Boone, North Carolina by founding members Garrett Dellinger (Vocals/Rhythm Guitar), Ryland Bagbey (Lead guitar), Sarah Vann (Violin and vocals), Wells Whitman (Bass and backing vocals) and Ethan Moore (Drums) and has worked tirelessly over the last half decade, spending the majority of their time touring with acts like Dexter and the Moonrocks, Young The Giant, The Wombats, and currently Rainbow Kitten Surprise. Before touring with these notable acts, they very quickly made a name for themselves locally, playing any show they could all over the Tar Heel state.
Upon walking into the stunning outdoor venue, I could feel the excitement from the crowd as they awaited the beloved North Carolina band. It was a warm night concluding the summer show season, and I can’t think of a more perfect duo of bands to close it out.
Cigarettes @ Sunset was there supporting Rainbow Kitten Surprise, another Boone-born band full of charisma and energy, who also know their way around commanding a crowd. Playing a setlist ranging from their new album Bones, like “Dang” and “Hell nah.” To iconic tracks like “Cocaine Jesus,” and “Painkillers,” and of course closing out the beautiful night with, “It’s called: Freefall.”
Cigarettes @ Sunset hit the ground running as soon as they stepped foot on stage, immediately catching the attention of the crowd, something they’ve grown quite good at. Opening their set with “Rewind,” a high-energy, lyrically-packed track calling out the corrupt politicians in our current government. Dellinger repeatedly says he wishes “he could rewind” to a better time, and questions if he’s any better than his own father for thinking these thoughts.
Going straight into a Neil Young cover of “Vampire Blues,” it was evident the band knew how to cater to every demographic in the audience and keep their attention, as well as sharing their musical influences.
The band maintained the pace of the show like it was second nature to them. Following the cover with back-to-back tracks from their most recent EP Possum Rock — “Theresa” and “Old Bleached Hair” — Cigarettes @ Sunset played an unreleased song entitled “Carolina Shakedown.”
One of the biggest moments of the night was when the band played their song “Gasoline.” The track has recently gained lots of attention via social media and quickly reached over six million streams since its release at the end of July. The crowd poured everything into singing along to the chorus of the emotional song, creating such a special moment as an audience member, and for the band as well.
Right before Cigarettes @ Sunset closed out their set with fan-favorite track “Pavement,” bassist Whitman asked the audience to turn their attention to the barricade right in front of him; his little sister was standing at the front, watching her big brother perform at her first concert ever. They proceeded to tell her not to do anything they say in the last song because it’s about smoking weed, which earned lots of laughter from the audience.
Dellinger then instructed everyone to get out their flashlights or lighters to set up the perfect closing moment. The audience was a sea of lights; there was a different energy that washed over the crowd, a lot coming from the band itself. The crowd sang out the last chorus as the band took a second to soak in the moment. I can only imagine how important playing these shows in your home state must feel, especially when the sizes seem to double every time. Despite all these years supporting huge bands and playing even bigger shows, it’s evident none of them have taken anything they’ve been given for granted.
Cigarettes @ Sunset shows are nothing to miss, their crowd control and energy is incredible coming from such a young band. All their years of hard work have certainly paid off to say the least and this is truly just the beginning for them, and we can’t wait to see where they’re taken next!
Get tickets to see Cigarettes @ Sunset here.
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Setlist:
-Rewind
-Vampire Blues (Neil Young cover)
-Theresa
-Old Bleached Hair
-Shoulder Blades
-Carolina Shakedown (Unreleased)
-The Dangers Of Banjo Maintenance
-Appalachian Raised
-Gasoline
-My Fix
-Great, Kid
-Pavement
