Yet another busy night downtown Minneapolis. With a packed parking lot next to First Avenue by 7:30, I expected it to be sold out for the Cold War Kids. Creating music for 20 years now, the band is touring their latest self-titled album Cold War Kids. The album was released in 2023, with the song “Run Away With Me” gaining popularity taking their number five spot on Spotify. The album was a pandemic era project, being perhaps the strongest and most well-rounded among the California band’s catalog. The band premieres a blues driven past, with fresh dance beats and ’80s pop rock. Everyone excitedly entered the venue doors for a good reason.
Joe P
You might recognize Joe P as the lead singer of the band Deal Casino, which disbanded in 2020 during the pandemic. He took to TikTok to perform solo work he’d been working on, and gained a large following. Me, being a Deal Casino fan, did not realize the connection between these two bands until the show, so it’s no surprise to me why I liked Joe P so much. His song “Off My Mind” was the first to debut on TikTok with his infamous snowy acoustic videos. Next, he released my personal favorite “Leaves” which was when he gained a follow from me on the social media app.
He has opened his performance on the road with a cover of the Deal Casino song “Color TV”, and played my personal favorite “Leaves” second, which made me a little sad since I was in the pit and couldn’t take any videos. I was very grateful that he covered some older Deal Casino songs. I think those in the crowd were pleasantly surprised by this openers talent, and Cold War Kids made a fantastic choice adding Joe P to the tour.
Cold War Kids
By the time the band was ready to come on stage, the venue was packed to the brim. You could feel the excitement in the air for this band who’s been making music for almost 20 years. This show was one of the most packed I have seen First Avenue since starting as a concert photographer. Cold War Kids are familiar with First Avenue’s stage and felt mighty comfortable playing for this crowd as it isn’t their first time at the venue. They performed here in 2013, 2017, and 2020, and were a little upset to find out they no longer have a star on the famed wall.
The band was all over the stage, interacting with crowd and getting as close as they could to almost touching those in the front row. Cold War Kids uses a mix of sounds and genres in their music, which is why they probably have as many hit songs as they do. They played hit after hit, with many in the crowd getting excited as soon as the first note was played. Not only did they play their older hits, but the Cold War Kids mixed in music from their new self-tilted album. It was truly an honor to capture such an incredible, and talented band!
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