Live Music: Catfish and the Bottlemen
By Sophie Minello, shot for Lucid Magazine.
On Solar Eclipse day 2017, British band Catfish and the Bottlemen took the stage for the first time in Cleveland, Ohio (or to be specific, Cuyahoga Falls). The sun was just beginning to set behind the fans stretched out on the lawn of Blossom Music Center, and cast a warm light on everything as anticipation grew for the upcoming show. When CATB announced they’d be on the road with Green Day, my jaw didn’t only drop due to the headliners popularity, but also the fact that they’d be taking a stop near Cleveland.
It was a moment I’d dreamt of since I became a fan in 2013, and the show just happened to be on my the first day of school AND the day of the solar eclipse. Of course, that only heightened my excitement and made the night more magical. What a wonderful start to the new year. Though setting, sun was sweltering the outside venue and air conditioning seemed non existent. Catfish ended up walking on 30 minutes later than expected, but the anticipation heightened as more and more fans of Green Day stumbled in. Catfish seemed to be a foreign band to many fans in the stadium, but the boys were determined to make a good impression.
The 4 members walked onstage with huge smiles on their faces. They opened with Cocoon, the strong guitar rocketing through the speakers. Frontman Van McCann constantly threw his head around and flew across the stage when he wasn’t smoothly uttering lyrics. His energy infected the crowd, making viewers bop their heads at the least. Their set consisted of 7, Soundcheck, Twice, and Tyrants; many of which were released last summer on their sophomore album, The Ride. The performance may have been short, but it left the audience with the perfect preview of the excitement they would experience during the night. As an opener, Catfish did their job perfectly, and I’m excited for them to return as a headlining act.
