Harmless’ First Headlining Show at El Cid 4/4/24
Harmless at El Cid. Taken by Atikis Curiel
Nacho Cano, aka Harmless, is among my favorite musicians right now. He is one of my top ten favorite bands/artists. I have seen him two times before. He once opened for vacation in March 2022 and for Roar last year in September (article here). Following the drop of his most recent album, “Spring Eternal,” he announced via his socials that he would be having his first headlining show; I just had to be there. The energy he puts out on stage is something magical. Making the show fun, interactive, and intimate with everyone in attendance. From his references to the current meme culture or sharing a funny story, there is no way your attention cannot be on the stage he is on. And I was excited to hear a couple of songs live as well. Those songs are “Rosie,” “Maybe Next Week,” and “It’s Only You.”
This show was special as well. It was the first show I had been to with my lovely girlfriend and her very first concert. The venue for this show would take me to El Cid. This show was my first time at this venue, but it was similar in size to The Echo. So, this would be a very intimate show, given the size.
While waiting for the opener, I ran into the drummer for Harmless. He had been in every show I had seen, and it was great meeting Mr. Knoll. I also ran into another artist that night, the lead singer for Vacations. Both were pleasant interactions, and I got a picture of them.
Kelz. Taken by Atikis Curiel
Around 8 pm, the opener for this show made her way to the stage. It was a musician who goes by Kelz. Before the show, I had yet to hear of her. Her sound is a combination of Lo-fi, indie, and bedroom pop. Her performance was terrific; most songs had the crowd moving. It is one of my favorite openers I have seen. She was a great addition to the night. She had the crowd going and was getting them ready for Harmless. After Klez’s set was finished, she thanked the crowd for attending and enjoying her set. The stage crew made some final adjustments, and now we just had to wait for the main show.
Harmless taken by Atikis Curiel
A little later, Nacho and his band members came on stage, and while they went to their respective instruments, he started playing “Pier Café,” a great song to open with, given its laid-back sound. From there on, he began playing banger after banger. The whole crowd got super hyped; everyone was dancing, jumping, and singing along to his songs. There is one song where he interacts with the crowd by taking their phone and recording or singing directly to one person. That song is “U Up?”. Seeing him interact with the crowd, elongate certain words, take selfies with a Nintendo DS camera, and do certain mannerisms is something you do not get at most concerts.
The show was such a great time. Every single song was amazing and performed with so much passion and energy. For example, the show closed with the song that most may know, “Swing Lynn,” and the crowd went wild when he played it. It’s moments like that that have to be experienced at least once. The pure thrill you get from it, the memory jogs you get when you hear the song. Harmless delivered one of the best shows I have yet to see, and I cannot wait for the next.