Circa Waves’ new album Death & Love, Pt. 1 has been out for less than a month, but it seems like fans have already taken it to heart. This was evident during the band’s concert at Tivoli Vredenburg, where they had the entire venue dancing and jumping.
Text and photos: Sophie Aerdts
The excitement in the venue was already palpable during the opening act. The band Corella, with their strong guitar and drum-driven sound, was reminiscent of Circa Waves, warming up the crowd and earning loud cheers and applause.
Although the audience had already shown enthusiasm during the support act, it was nothing compared to what happened when Circa Waves themselves took the stage. Kicking off with Do You Wanna Talk, they instantly captivated the crowd, the energy was undeniable, with people jumping, dancing, and cheering. They followed up with Like You Did Before from the new album. Even though the album has only been out for a short time, most of the audience knew the lyrics by heart, which the band visibly appreciated.
Proud on stage
It was almost touching to see how proud they were to be playing in such a large venue. Lead singer Kieran Shudall repeatedly glanced around the room with a mix of pride and disbelief in his eyes. At one point, he expressed his appreciation for the crowd’s size by asking everyone who felt “included” to wave their hands. The result? A sea of waving hands so dense that the stage was barely visible.
The setlist was well thought out, blending new songs with old hits and fan favorites. This ensured something for everyone—whether it was someone’s first Circa Waves concert or they had been following the band for years. One undeniable fan favorite was Move to San Francisco, which created an almost tangible connection between the band and the audience as they sang along.
Not long after, the entire venue was dancing and jumping again during Lemonade, a song with a beautifully mellow chorus that’s perfect for singing along. This highlights a unique feature of Circa Waves’ music, many of their lyrics consist of just a few lines repeated throughout the song. Yet, rather than feeling repetitive, their songs remain catchy and engaging.
The depth of Circa Waves
Following performances of Goodbye and Fire That Burns, a break was well deserved. Up until that moment, the concert had been filled with upbeat and cheerful energy. However, during these rock-heavy tracks, the atmosphere shifted to an intense and almost aggressive energy. It was fascinating to witness the same audience singing and dancing in a completely different way, adding depth and variation to the show. After this, the band briefly ran off stage, taking a well-earned break along with the crowd—only to return soon after for the final few songs.
Just before the end, Circa Waves played one of their latest hits, We Made It, a song brimming with pride and emotion. As they sang the lyrics, “It took a long, long time to get here, but yeah, we made it, yeah, we made it,” you could almost see tears in the eyes of the lead singer.
Of course, there was only one way to close the concert, with their biggest hit, T-Shirt Weather. It felt as though the audience had been saving their energy for this moment because as soon as the guitarists struck the first chords, the venue nearly exploded with energy. If you ask me, they were absolutely right with their song, they made it.
