COIN has an existential realization at the Fillmore

It’s about 4 o’clock, four hours before the show starts, and the line is already 50-people long. Just minutes before doors open, the crowd wraps along Geary Blvd and around the corner. COIN fans come out in numbers to show their support for this indie pop band from Nashville. As we all waited for the show to start, I spotted Chase Lawrence, the band’s lead singer, goofily dancing with a few friends – the crowd had no idea he was right behind them. This energy and carefree vibe was just a small taste of what he would later serve on stage.

The Aces, an all-girl alternative pop band to the likes of HAIM and MUNA, opened the show and immediately electrified the room with their rockstar stage presence. Lead singer, Cristal Ramirez, commanded the stage, swaggered around with her leather jacket, and fired up the crowd with her powerful vocals. They concluded their set with their 80s-inspired song “Stuck,” which has amassed over 5 million streams on Spotify. Alisa Ramirez, Cristal’s sister and the band’s drummer, walked out from behind her drum kit, threw up bullhorns, and strutted off stage to a roaring crowd. If you didn’t know The Aces before seeing them live, there is no doubt you’ll be looking up their songs after coming face-to-face with their irresistibly fun, upbeat tunes.

COIN started off their set strong with their latest release, “Growing Pains.” Not only was the crowd engrossed in the song, singing along and waving their hands, but I even spotted a few photographers bobbing their heads and mouthing the words along with the crowd. It was sure to be a fun set. Chase truly knows how to work the stage, moving from end-to-end and failing to neglect any section of the crowd. Throughout the course of the show, he took a camera straight out of a photographer’s hands, belted out as he stood over the crowd, and worked his way into the pit several times.

Chase with a photographer’s camera

Although most of their songs are high-energy jams, COIN managed to balance their set with endearing, emotional moments. As they wrapped up “Don’t Cry, 2020,” they stripped down the song, the crowd quieted, and emotions echoed through Chase’s voice. Then, they picked it back up again, giving everyone a chance to jump and get back into concert mode.

Chase shared, “We haven’t been here in 7 months and last time, we played at a venue that had no A.C., so we’ve upgraded.” A group of fans next to me laughed, looked at each other with watery eyes, and placed their hands on their hearts, as if they were proud parents. The COIN fanbase is dedicated and in love, living in the moment and screaming every word of every song, even the unreleased ones. COIN treated the Fillmore to a performance of their unreleased song “You” and a group of fans could be heard screaming the words, “She tastes just like you.”

There is no doubt that COIN appreciates the level of energy and commitment the crowd brought to the show. The audience screamed for minutes after the band had finished playing “Talk Too Much,” their most commercially successful song. Guitarist Joe Memmel formed a heart with his hands and the entire band could be seen smiling, shaking their heads in disbelief – this is where they have made it. Chase said, “Every now and then you have one of those existential moments.” This concert was one of them. The band felt at home in SF, making for a very special show.