The Backseat Lovers played their first Triangle gig in over two years on Sept. 16 and 17. Tickets for the back-to-back performances at Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro sold out in minutes — and for good reason. This show proved to local fans why the hype is real.
The lead singer Joshua Harmon is a master of melody. He filled every song with equal parts emotion, angst and energy. On the outside, he’s a playful, fun-loving guy. But as he spouts into the microphone, he exposes the melancholy truths of life.
Other band members include Jonas Swanson on electric guitar, KJ Ward on bass and Juice Welch manning the drum kit — all matching Harmon’s excellence.
NC State hosted The Backseat Lovers for Wolfstock 2022; arguably the greatest allocation of University funds of all time. The Salt Lake City-based band performed at the Ritz and Cat’s Cradle regularly until 2023. Their two-year hiatus made the excitement surrounding the upcoming performances even stronger.
On Wednesday night, The band got their biggest hits out of the way early, with “Pool House,” “Kilby Girl” and “Maple Syrup” at the beginning of their 90-minute set. These three songs have a combined 750 million streams on Spotify — two-thirds of their total listens. If you weren’t jumping around and chanting at the top of your lungs during this stretch, you were in the minority.
Throughout the show, they sprinkled in three unreleased songs, including the opener, which was an unnamed acoustic ballad from Harmon. Another unreleased track, interestingly sung by Swanson, who typically sticks to playing the guitar, displayed the versatility of the band. But the most notable unreleased song was the only one given a name, “Invisible.” It was an unsettling tune with fuzzy guitar and quick drums that filled the listener with feelings of irresolution.
While playing their old music, the band went much deeper than the scratches on the vinyl, or for most listeners, the ones and zeros in their Spotify app. From coordinated tempo fluctuations and long guitar solos to colorful interludes, casual fans and die-hards alike were kept on their toes.
Per tradition, the band closed out the night with an encore of “Sinking Ship,” another angsty song that builds up to a tremendous release of emotion. Most people were either shouting at the top of their lungs, crying or both.
Kira Noblezada, a fourth-year studying psychology, attended both of The Backseat Lovers’ shows at Cat’s Cradle.
“I did cry during ‘Sinking Ship’,” Noblezada said. “I saw them at Wolfstock too. It was a huge thing and was really cool, especially compared to the Wolfstocks now.”
Having accumulated such a strong fanbase, and considering how fast the tickets sold out, the decision to tour small venues seems puzzling from a financial perspective. With two shows at a 750-person-venue at $55 a ticket, there is a lot of money being left on the table considering tickets went for around $140 on the secondary market.
Ultimately, it speaks to the band’s commitment to their brand, their fans and creating an authentic atmosphere. The intimate feel of a crowded club can’t be matched in a bigger venue, making their decision to stick with smaller venues worthwhile for everyone involved.
Before the show began, Luke Thoms, a fourth-year studying communications, explained that much of his anticipation for the event surrounded the atmosphere.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing people together, dancing and enjoying themselves,” Thoms said. “At bigger concerts, you don’t get as much of that. I love the smaller vibe.”
A community-centered venue provides the perfect atmosphere for The Backseat Lovers’ music style. Their first album “When We Were Friends” is best described as a compilation of groovy, emotional indie rock. Each song shines bright on its own, injecting a lively vibe into listeners. But while the bright guitar riffs prompt you to dance around, you still can’t seem to shake an underlying sense of desolation, inciting a desire to keep your friends and family close.
Their sophomore album “Waiting to Spill” keeps the same subtleties while still trailblazing as a masterpiece in its own right. The songs are woven together masterfully, each building on the next until a slow release with “Viciously Lonely” as the finale.
By the end of the show, the Backset Lovers had played all of the hits from both albums, introduced a few unreleased tracks and proved once again the superiority of a small venue.
After an enchanting show and encore, there was only one lingering wish from fans: Don’t be gone too long.
