Throughout the years, we have caught Against The Current live so many times that we have honestly lost count, though it is safely approaching the 20-show mark. From headlining tours and opening slots to massive festival appearances, we have watched them grow over the 11 years we’ve been running this platform.
This time around, Against The Current took over Utrecht’s TivoliVredenburg, packing out the venue’s biggest room (Ronda) with a 2,000-cap crowd. While it might not be the absolute largest Dutch show of their career, the completely sold-out status marks a definitive highlight in the band’s history.
The catalyst for this tour is obvious: the band has finally dropped a brand-new full-length album. While they have had immense success with various singles and a stellar EP in recent years, Till Death & Back serves as their highly anticipated third studio album, arriving a massive eight years after the release of their sophomore record, Past Lives.
Show-wise, Against The Current‘s core performance hasn’t drastically transformed over the past decade. Instead, the rooms have simply gotten bigger, and their stage presence has grown far more comfortable. The trio now effortlessly commands the room, taking prolonged breaks to genuinely connect with the audience before launching into the next track. Musically, they remain airtight. The instrumental synergy is incredibly tight, a testament to how long the three have been playing together. And, of course, the main draw for many remains Chrissy Costanza’s impeccable vocal delivery, which sounds just as flawless in a live setting as it does on their studio records.
Boasting an impressive 4.2 million monthly listeners on Spotify, it makes perfect sense that a venue like TivoliVredenburg’s Ronda room sells out this fast; the band is on an undeniable upward trajectory.
Unfortunately, that massive growth isn’t entirely reflected in their live production just yet. The stage set-up is solid, but it is overdue for an upgrade if the band wants to keep levelling up. Other acts we first covered 11 years ago, like Motionless In White, have drastically scaled up their production value as they transitioned to bigger rooms. I feel like Against The Current are due for rooms just that big, if and when their shows get grander.
Everything about Against The Current’s core performance works perfectly, but to truly capitalise on their current momentum, elevating their stage production feels like the natural next step. Check out the photos from the great performance in the gallery right below!
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