Real Friends | Atlanta, GA

On November 14th, Real Friends brought the Forever and Ever and Ever and Ever Tour to Atlanta, Georgia at independent venue The Masquerade. Accompanying them was Can’t Swim, Carly Cosgrove, and Slow Joy. 

Slow Joy started the night off strong at 8 PM. The solo project, fronted by Esteban Flores, brings his grungy alt-rock shoegaze tones from Dallas, Texas. Gaining much deserved traction from TikTok, Instagram, and Spotify, Slow Joy brings a sense of melancholy through his grief-stricken lyrics and calming yet powerful riffs, connecting with the crowd on all levels. The rawness that was felt from Slow Joy’s new single, “Pulling Teeth” was definitely a highlight of the night, leaving everyone yearning for something more.

Carly Cosgrove was next on the bill, and the band was just as incredible as they always seem to be. The DIY pop-punk Philly natives opened the night with “Buttersock,” “Really Big Shrimp,” and "Don't Lick The Swingset,” all three being fan favorites that had the crowd buzzing. Celebrating their recent release The Cleanest of Houses Are Empty, new songs such as “Fluff My Pillow” and “You Old Dog” were memorable highlights of the set.

As soon as Can’t Swim took the stage and the beginning notes of “must be nice (metaphorically speaking)” rang out, the crowd erupted and crowd surfers were immediately in the air, while everyone else was left to jump around and simultaneously dodge the whirlwind of bodies above them. With what seemed to be ever-lasting energy, the band completely entranced the crowd from start to finish, never letting a dull moment emerge.

Already psyched from the Can’t Swim set, Real Friends took the stage with an already lively crowd. Beginning the night with “Our Love Was Like A Sad Song” off their newest album Blue Hour, the crowd was met with heavy guitar riffs, powerful drums, and electric vocals, completely captivating the audience as lead singer Cody Muraro hustled around the stage. Another obvious fan favorite was “Late Nights in My Car,” which is arguably one of their most popular and celebrated in the pop-punk scene. To confirm this, one had to only hear the crowd’s response to the song, as every single person was screaming the lyrics, especially when Muraro decided to crowdsurf himself.

With over eleven dates left for this run, this lineup is not to be missed, as each band delivers their own special sound to truly put together a show of a lifetime.