Real Friends Forever and Ever and Ever and Ever Tour 11.26.2024
I've been listening to Real Friends since I was 15 years old. They have gone on multiple tours since then, but I've only seen them perform live once. In August, they announced they would go on a fall tour with Can't Swim, Carly Cosgrove, and Slow Joy. I've been eager to add these bands to my list of those I’ve photographed. Even though it was a Tuesday night, I hope everyone had the chance to see them perform at the Town Ballroom in Buffalo. As I stepped into the venue, I noticed that the show had a slow start, creating a peaceful atmosphere that hung in the air. The excitement in the room slowly built up over the night as more fans gradually poured into the once-quiet venue.
Slow Joy is the solo project of Esteban Flores from Dallas, TX. He combines grunge, emo, and shoegaze elements to create music characterized by deeply personal and melancholic lyrics, all supported by gritty, powerful guitar sounds. Slow Joy gained popularity on TikTok in 2022 with his debut releases, Crawling and Soft Slam. I enjoyed the vibes that Slow Joy had to offer. To start the show they had a lot of energy to give. Esteban Flores, you could feel and see the passion on his face as he was jumping around the stage singing his heart out. Throughout their opening set, they played six songs that included “Pressure” and “Pulling Teeth.” As the guys were cleaning up the stage I saw Esteban walking into the crowd and I noticed fans stopping him and giving him props for his performance.
Carly Cosgrove is an indie-rock trio from Philadelphia, PA, consisting of members Lucas Naylor, Helen Barsz, and Tyler Kramer. Their music blends cool indie-rock elements with authentic emo influences, exploring themes of personal growth through anxiety, depression, and self-actualization. The trio has released two albums: See You in Chemistry and The Cleanest of Houses Are Empty. When I saw Carly Cosgrove walk onto the stage, I was personally excited. The last time I saw the band perform was back in 2022 at the iMatter Festival reboot. When these guys came onto the stage I was ready to listen to the new music they had dropped since the last time I had watched them perform. They played 8 songs throughout the night, I couldn’t stop watching the drummer, and the energy he had while he performed, with the rest of the trio. I loved the names of their songs too. They are different than what you normally would see, such as “Really Big Shrimp” & “What Are You, A Cop?”. They closed the night out by playing “Not My Job.” I would love to see Carly Cosgrove perform again in the future.
Can't Swim is an American rock band based in Keansburg, New Jersey. Since their debut in 2017, the band has released four studio albums and four EPs. The current lineup consists of Chris LoPorto (lead vocals), Greg McDevitt (bass), Danny Rico (guitar), and Blake Gamel (drums). Can't Swim is also featured on the song "Toneblerone" by Jetski, which has received over 100,000 plays. I enjoyed Can’t Swim’s set, during the ending of their set they separated the room down the middle & had fans do the 2 steps in the middle of the room altogether. Greg McDevitt had so much energy while performing, he was jumping around screaming his heart out as he backed up screaming with Chris LoPorto. As I was leaving the venue for the night, I stopped by the Real Friends merch table. I saw the band hanging out and having a good time talking to some fans as they came up to buy some merch as well.
Real Friends is an American rock band from Tinley Park, Illinois. To date, they have released seven EPs and four studio albums. The band was previously signed to Fearless Records and Pure Noise Records but independently released their most recent full-length album, Blue Hour, on October 11, 2024. Since the band's formation, there have been only two lineup changes. The current members are Kyle Fasel, Dave Knox, Eric Haines, Brian Blake, and Cody Muraro. Their lyrics tackle significant topics such as mental health, physical health, loneliness, and nostalgia. On my way to the venue, I listened to their music during the drive, after having a few of their older songs stuck in my head, including "Anchor Down" and "Late Nights In My Car." I loved seeing Real Friends again, This time the room was electric, a different type of show from seeing them previously. During the third song, “Late Nights in My Car,” singer Cody Muraro engages with the fans by singing from the barricade. He then jumps into the crowd and starts crowd-surfing while still performing. This act was impressive, as it allowed him to connect more intimately with the fans, being right in front of them and on top of them. They performed a total of 16 songs during their set, including new tracks “Waiting Room” and “Cold Blooded.” Additionally, they played some older favorites like “Sixteen” and “I’ve Given Up On You.” Although Dan Lambton is no longer the lead singer of the band, it was great to see Cody Muraro step in as the new lead singer in 2020, when Dan parted ways with the group. Cody's vocals provide a refreshing change for the band as they move forward. Real Friends is a band I will see again the next time they come into town.
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