CANNONS kicked off their debut headlining tour with a sold out show at the iconic El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles on March 1st. Local diehards have been following this trio (Michelle Joy, Ryan Clapham, and Paul Davis) for years at small clubs across L.A., and for them the band’s explosive growth in popularity — after breaking out in 2020 with their hit “Fire for You” — are no surprise.
It’s a bit difficult to describe how & why their music creates such an intense and addictive reaction in their growing fanbase. The best explanation heard so far: “it’s a vibe, 80’s synths, late night car ride”. CANNONS’ sound is a perfect fit for the surreal and dreamlike trance that many have found themselves in, after months and years of sheltering from COVID. You can read more about them in an interview Michael Menachem did with the band here at Pass The Aux.
For this monumental evening at the El Rey, the band opted for silver sparkles and balloons, and delivered hypnotizing renditions of their recent hits plus new material from their upcoming Fever Dream album, which was mostly written and recorded during the first year of the pandemic. Somme (Jordan Cantor) and Madi Sipes & The Painted Blue were the openers.
Setlist: Shadows, Ruthless, Baby, Bad Dream, Talk Talk, Love on the Ground, Tunnel of You, Hurricane, Spells, Love Chained, Golden, Purple Sun, Down on Love, Strangers, Up All Night, Fire for You, Evening Star
CANNONS will be back in in southern California on April 15th with a show at the Constellation Room in Orange County, then back again the following month with appearances at The Venice West (formerly WitZend) on May 11th and at the BeachLife Festival on May 13th.
Words and photos by Justin Higuchi
