Couch @ Roadrunner 11/22
Photos by Mia Anderson
Review by Ava Carrel
I’ll be transparent, I’m writing this while listening to the Couch album, Big Talk, AGAIN. It was that good.
Couch, made up of seven high school and college friends, makes music that is at the intersection of pop, soul, and R&B but leans into dissonant chords of jazz and the energy and enthusiasm of Big Band. Their Spotify page provides the perfect homecoming for theater-kid-adjacent young adults who reminisce fondly on their days in choir and ponder buying a $200 karaoke machine once a month.
The Boston show at Roadrunner was not only their home show, with their cheering families on the balcony, but it was also sold out, with over 3,500 people in the audience. Of those 3,500, I guarantee at least 50% participated in collegiate a cappella; the ICCAs must’ve come early this year.
The show opened with a bang, quite literally, as Eric Tarlin on sax and Jeffery Pinsker-Smith on trumpet began in tandem on “What Were You Thinking” with an energetic melody that set the tone for the whole concert. Couch is intentional about ensuring every member has the opportunity to shine. The spotlight alternates members as they show off their expertise and emotion, with the rest of the band crouching to make sure that even Will Griffin, the bassist, could be seen from the back left corner.
The group sang and played to one another almost as much as to the audience. Their energy infects each other as Tema Siegel, lead vocals, got the crowd to dance along with them. “Jessie” off their sophomore EP “Sunshower” was an opportunity for the group to show off that almost all of the band can sing, in addition to being an expert on their instrument. Their harmonies supporting Siegel were blended and balanced. Zach Blankstein, guitar, killed on a solo where the crowd kept preemptively cheering because we didn’t know how it could keep getting better.
When they played the intro to “Poems,” I admit, I scrambled to delete apps off my phone just to be able to record the full song. Luckily, I had a bit of time as Siegel introduced new fans to the ‘Couch Family Photos’ segment of the show, where cameras are thrown out to the audience to take pictures with friends, old and new. The bit acts as both a pun on their name and a testament to their independent roots that create intimate shows and found families. Fans were encouraged to buy their photos at the end of the night, as all the proceeds were donated to Rosie’s Place, a women’s shelter in Boston that provides day and overnight shelter while offering resources for education and legal services. This gesture puts into action many of the themes in their songs, like resilience, finding oneself, and finding “gratitude in the mundane,” as Siegel put it in the intro to “Window.”
Couch’s storytelling is almost Broadway-esque in its worldbuilding and the way the listener is immediately invested in the character’s qualm. “Middle Man” is a good example with its retelling of the canon bisexual experience of falling for your friend once she starts going out with some mediocre man. Don’t worry, you can still listen if you’re straight! Everyone can relate to the yearning and giddy uncertainty of having a crush in a messy situation. Though Siegel writes lyrics for most of the work, some of my favorite songs were written by other band members. “Autumn,” written by saxophonist Tarlin, was tenderly dueted by Siegel and Steven Day, the opener. Boston during cuffing season feels like the right place to sing “Freshman in a coffee shop, Lonely while the couples talk.”
Roadrunner is a smaller venue, and committed fans can often be aggressive. I certainly debated violence while clawing my way to the front for Jared Gozinsky’s drum solo at the start of “Still Feeling You.” He began with a simple rhythm, then built up to an intricate and explosive finish as the rest of the band joined him. Yeah, I should’ve thrown hands to be at barricade for that.
Yet the Couch crowd was filled with “excuse me’s”, “my a cappella group did this song,” and a sprinkle of grandparents and little cousins as Couch members’ families showed up and out for the home show. “Lucky To Be Stuck With You” honored their presence with a message to remember to carve out time with loved ones, especially as we get older and life picks up. Siegel explained the song was written in her dad’s voice after being inspired by a family drive to New Hampshire. It’s sweet, nostalgic, and really does feel like being stuck in the car with your siblings. Danny Silverston, keys, split the crowd into Sopranos, Altos, and Tenors and directed as we sang the backing harmonies to the bridge. It was a gesture that pulls you into the moment and forces you to be fully present, hammering home the message of intentional quality time. This song feels like a Pentatonix Christmas carol in the best way possible, and I’ve been craving that rush since I first discovered White Winter Hymnal.
Boston was the perfect homecoming as they played a sold-out show in their hometown. There was a sense of victory and elation on the stage, going from singing together in 2019 to touring in 2025. The show finished up the first song off “Big Talk,” their new debut full album, “On The Wire,” and “(I Wanted) Summer With You,” the first song on their sophomore EP. “On The Wire” name drops the album title and describes the experience of a young band being on tour, having adventures, making tough decisions, and having… wait for it… No way you know what’s coming… Big Talks.
