COIN and joan: Indie-pop heaven

Chase Lawrence, lead singer of Coin, looks into the crowd in awe. Lawrence said he was amazed that, that many people in Ames, IA would come out on Wednesday night to see them perform. Ames was Coin’s first stop on their ‘How Will You Know If You Don’t Try’ tour. 

Caroline Shaw

Wednesday night was a night of indie-pop heaven in the Maintenance Shop.

COIN and supporting act joan both gave performances that could have gone on for hours without ever losing touch. It was impossible to get bored.

Joan, stylized as joan, was a pleasant surprise and had a set that can easily be described as enchanting. They have an electronic pop sound that is somehow energizing and relaxing at the same time.

Joan is comprised of two guys who manage to produce the sound of a much larger ensemble. If you like The 1975, you’re going to love these guys.

The group is a very new band with only one single, “Take Me On,” released so far. Opening for COIN on Wednesday was only their second show.

“So please, be forgiving,” said frontman Alan Thomas.

 However, there was very little, if anything, to forgive. Joan’s performance was smooth and balanced.

 With only one song released, opening for COIN is exciting for joan. They recorded “Take Me On” with Tim Pagnotta, who also produced music for COIN.

 “We’re really honored to be asked by COIN to come out,” Thomas said.

When COIN took the stage it was obvious that they belong on a larger stage. They used a beautiful, elaborate set that would not have looked out of place in an amphitheater.

The level of energy from frontman Chase Lawrence also would have been at home on a stage with a little more room to jump around. The essence of this band seemed to spill off the stage.

During the last song of their set, it did just that. Lawrence stepped off the stage and danced in the crowd as he sang “Fingers Crossed.”

COIN’s show at the M-Shop was their first stop on the tour supporting their new album and their first time headlining their own tour.

The album, “How Will You Know If You Never Try,” will be released on Friday. It includes the single “Talk Too Much,” which gave them a burst of recognition on the radio and spent several weeks on Alt Nation’s Alt 18 Countdown.

Headlining this tour is a completely new experience for COIN. The incredible response from the sold out crowd in the M-Shop got the tour off to a great start for the band.

“This is our first attempt at headlining a tour,” Lawrence said. “It’s so surreal that we sold out a show in Ames, Iowa.”

Lawrence commented on how the difference between opening a show and headlining a show is that being a headliner means the show is uniquely theirs.

“We’re trying to build this culture of love and kindness and respect for every person that walks through the doors,” Lawrence said.

The surreal feeling Lawrence mentioned was also present in the crowd. Nearly every moment had nearly every person completely engaged in the show.

Fans clapped, sang and jumped together at all the right moments. There were many parts of the show that felt like they were pulled straight out of a music video.

Lawrence said that the band wanted to start the tour off in a smaller room and the M-Shop was the best way to start off the tour. He described the show as “lit indeed.”

“I have never said the word ‘lit’ in my life and I said ‘lit indeed’ tonight,” Lawrence said with a laugh.