Photos by Caroline Edwards
The room was filled with young audience members donning baseball caps and mom jeans, intently listening to Frankie Cosmos’ lead singer Greta Kline during the Wednesday, April 11 show at The Regent Theater in Downtown Los Angeles.
Frankie Cosmos commanded the room with her soft, quirky vocals during her set. Frankie Cosmos is Greta Kline’s stage name, and she can be seen playing solo or with her band. The band headlined with an hour-long set Wednesday, following their openers SOAR and Ian Sweet as part of their two-week West Coast tour. Kline played guitar throughout the set while singing the poetic melodies of her latest album, “Vessel,” along with fan favorites from 2014’s “Zentropy” and 2016’s “Next Thing.”
“Everyone here is so nice and cool,” Kline told the audience. “It’s a pleasure to play here.”
The Regent’s doors opened at 7 p.m. for the 8 p.m. show, but fans were lined up by 6 p.m. for front-row spots during the general admission show. The audience nodded and sang along to Kline’s set, with one group of teenage girls starting a mosh pit during the guitar solos of Kline’s rock songs. Audience members drank, ate, bought merchandise and gathered around the stage or sat at stools on the balcony throughout the concert.
“The show was really good for this venue because the venue is small, so it’s a more intimate experience, which I think works well with their sound and attitude,” said 21-year-old concert-goer Kayla Cummings, Pepperdine alumna and current University of California student. “I love the stage at the Regent because of how the lights change color and transform the curtain behind them to fit each new song.”
Cummings said she came to the show because she loves the Regent Theater and has been listening to Frankie Cosmos for over a year.
“The show was really fun and relaxed,” Cummings said. “It was a low-key vibe but the the crowd was really into it. It was so cool to hear these songs that I’ve been listening to nonstop live, especially the ones from her latest album.”
Meanwhile, Chase Hewitt, a 20-year-old concert-goer said he came to the concert just for Frankie Cosmos, since his favorite song is “Fool.”
“I was expecting low energy, but also fun energy,” Hewitt said. “I got the same thing I was expecting.”
Kline stumbled her way through her set, joking with her bandmates and the audience. She forgot the words during one of her latest songs off of “Vessel” and admitted this to the crowd.
“If this was ‘American Idol,’ I would’ve been kicked off,” Kline said. “I’m sorry I forgot some of the words. I don’t know what to tell you.”
Despite a few mistakes, Cummings emphasized the fact that Kline’s awkwardness and mistakes were endearing and added to the atmosphere of the show.
“The organization of the setlist was perfect,” Cummings said. “They played a good balance between old and new songs while still giving the audience something new that could only come from seeing them live.”
Kline played fan-favorites such as “Jesse,” “On the Lips” and “Fool.” She came out for an encore and finished with “Outside with the Cuties,” before coming off stage to greet and take photos with fans. Frankie Cosmos brought indie magic to The Regent and left fans on a high note.
___________
Follow the Pepperdine Graphic on Twitter: @PeppGraphic
