Kodaline Concert Review

By Sarah Gregor

On December 4th, I saw Kodaline at Irving Plaza. The New York City venue was some place I have never been to, but have heard a lot about because it usually features some more alternative, smaller known bands (which appeals to me). It almost reminded me of The Paramount Place in Huntington, for having the entrance on the bottom and the actual stage on the top floor, both places maintaining a gothic style inside. The opener band was Ocean Park Standoff, whose songs were quicker paced than most of Kodaline’s songs, and spoke mostly in clichés. While they were good and very into crowd involvement, they weren’t my personal cup of tea.

Kodaline themselves were amazing. Their stage persona was very humble, which I know sounds strange to say, but something about the way they carried themselves was refreshing. The crowd sang along to every song, and because Kodaline is such a mellow band, it was sometimes hard to hear the actual band over the singing. I didn’t personally mind this, but if you’re super into hearing the band instead of singing along then Kodaline might not be the band to see. There also wasn’t a lot of movement on stage but I blame that more on the size of the venue rather than the ability of the band to dance and play at the same time. Also, if you’re more familiar with Kodaline’s older work (like me), then do not fret. The band played songs off all three of their albums. This means that regardless of what your favorite Kodaline era, there will definitely be something there for you to enjoy.

Rating: 4 out of 5