COIN Performs in NYC at Hammerstein Ballroom
Written by cupor1 on October 28, 2024
Photos & Review by Lara Ziccardi
COIN is an American pop-rock band formed in 2012 in Nashville, Tennessee. The band consists of lead vocalist Chase Lawrence, guitarist Joe Memmel, and drummer Ryan Winnen. Known for their catchy melodies and vibrant sound, COIN blends indie pop with upbeat rock influences. Their breakthrough came with hits like “Talk Too Much” and “Cinderella,” leading to a growing fanbase. Their sound is so catchy, engaging, and just makes you want to get lost in their music.
COIN is currently on their I’m Not Afraid of Tour Anymore tour with supporting artists, Aidan Bissett and Rebounder. They released their sixth album, I’m Not Afraid of Music Anymore, last month on September 13th. Lara Ziccardi, concert photographer and host of WMSC alt-rock music show My Emo Phase, headed into the city to catch the show.
COIN truly blew me away with their performance – they are one of the most passionate and energetic bands I’ve seen live in a long time. I was so captivated and hypnotized with every move they made and every song they played. Just by watching them, you can tell these guys love what they do. Not only did they bring the energy, they brought a great setlist with them too.
Before I talk about the crowd I have to give a disclaimer – this is my experience and I’m sorry if you don’t agree with me. Whenever I cover a show, I always want to write about my true, authentic experience. With that being said, I truly don’t think I was in the crowd at the right time at this show. I’m looking back and editing my photos and parts of the crowd look so energetic. When I was taking photos in GA, the people I came across were not like this. I have to be completely honest, some parts of the crowd did not pass the vibe check. Barely anyone was dancing – there was only a small section towards the barricade that were.
It makes me so sad that when I was in the crowd, there was no energy. COIN was putting on this incredible performance and I felt like people around me were just standing there. I was expecting a crowd like Two Door Cinema Club or even Wallows but the majority of the crowd fell flat for me. When I go to see a show where the band has music that’s easy to dance to, I want to jump around, dance, and meet new people. That unfortunately didn’t happen at the show this time. I wanted to feel the music with people who also feel the same way. Again, maybe I just wasn’t near the right people or it’s because I was in the crowd in the middle of the set. COIN has a song called “I Don’t Wanna Dance” but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t want to dance! Towards the end of their set, the crowd seemed to liven up a bit, especially for their hit, “Talk Too Much” off of their sophomore album How Will You Know If You Never Try.
From the new record, I really enjoyed “Take It Or Leave It,” “Slack,” and “Along For The Ride.” One of my favorite songs by them is “Malibu 1992” and hearing it live was so incredibly beautiful. Whenever I envision “Malibu 1992,” I picture the lighting they created – it was soft, a little staticy, with delicate oranges and pinks. During the middle of the song, the LED screen behind them turned into an orange semi-circle mimicking a sunset. “Malibu 1992” was so dreamy – I look at the photos I captured during that song and I can hear them playing it live. They make me want to melt away into the sunset with the melody.
At one point in the set, lead singer, Chase Lawrence, went to the barricade and interacted with some fans. He took a selfie with one of them, ran back and forth in the barricade pit. One of my favorite moments in the set is when he stood in front of the barricade and held a fan’s hand. This photo means so much to me because of the sheer joy that’s on their face. I love the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” because photos always speak for themselves. If you’re familiar with my reviews and my work, to me, photography is all about capturing a feeling. When I look at this picture, I feel excitement. This has become one of my favorite photos I’ve taken.
It was so funny being back at Hammerstein Ballroom for me – last October, I photographed Motionless In White on their Touring the End of the World tour with support from Knocked Loose, After the Burial, and Alpha Wolf. It was funny to see that these shows were a year apart, at the same venue, and completely different genres.
COIN blew me out of the water – I’m so happy I had the opportunity to photograph and see them. They impressed me with their sound and energy. I enjoyed watching them put their heart and soul into performing. I do have to say though, come on NYC, next time COIN comes around, I want to see more dancing!
