Photo Credit: Anna Katrina
Following the release of their sixth studio album ‘Halcyon Blues’, Ohio alt-rockers Citizen returned to the UK for a short run of shows to give fans their first listen to new material live as well as a set filled with all the big hits from the last thirteen years.
California quartet Modern Color made their return to the UK, this time taking on much bigger venues compared to their previous visit. A mix of dark and complex riffs alongside a range of clean and screaming vocals was enough to encourage a large portion of the Leeds audience to begin moving about. Whether it was peoples first time witnessing the band live, hearing of them for the first time or already known to their sound, one thing that the room could share was the appreciation of their presence.
Having taken the Project House venue by storm previously, the band’s presence at Stylus was bound to be one of the most energetic yet. The dance floor was brimming with fans, pouring on to the stairs at both the sides and the back of the room, while the surrounding balcony and third tier were just as packed and eagerly awaiting their presence. As the room turned to darkness, the band made their way onto the compact stage as cheers welcomed them as they walked out from the side doors. As expected, the set list consisted heavily of material from the new record, and right off the bat, ‘Good Fortune’ kicked off the show. The whole place was bouncing immediately, with Kerekes’ smile just about visible underneath his cap that covered the majority of his face. Clearly this was a good sign as the first song hadn’t even finished.
Following up with ‘I Can See You From Here’ and ‘Is It In My Brain?’ to keep the ‘Halcyon Blues’ material flowing, it wasn’t long until Citizen treated fans to a few of their golden oldies. Once the first words of ‘The Summer’ were sung by Mat, the entire place erupted once again. ‘Youth’ remains one of the scene’s staple records over a decade later, and as further tracks like ‘Sick and Impatient’ and ‘Roam the Room’ featuring also, it was a pleasant mixture of both old and new throughout the evening. With the new album’s title track, ‘Always the Last One to Leave’ and ‘Numb Yourself’ all nestled into the midway stage of the night. Citizen still had plenty more to give.
The intensity rose once again with ‘How Does It Feel?’ coming around, despite its more mellow and somber sound, the crowd’s excitement and voices were certainly heard. The band thrive on crowd participation, so with a roaring Leeds audience singing back every word, Kerekes had no choice but to allow them all to take over vocal duties. Rounding off their packed set list with ‘Highs and Lows’, Citizen exited the stage for a brief moment, before returning for one final song to bow out with. It was of course, ‘The Night I Drive Alone’. Regardless of it being a two-minute track, the emotions were still high, voices still loud and the passion pulsating right until the very last second. A clear sign that the love for Citizen in the UK still remains over a decade on and long may it continue.
Photo Credit: Anna Katrina
