World’s First Cinema electrified the stage at Amos’ South End in Charlotte as they opened for Taylor Acorn on Tuesday night, April 16. The band’s performance was full of endless energy and tight musicianship — they also brought something else I wasn’t expecting — a violin. 

When you go to a rock concert, there’s usually things you can count on. There’s going to be a guitar player. There’s going to be a drummer and there’s going to be a singer (unless you’re listening to post rock, then there are no rules). What you don’t always see, or hear, is a violin and that’s what stuck out the most to me when the duo took the stage. As a fan of classical music and a bigger fan of the violin it was especially fun to watch the band effortlessly, and energetically, blend the sounds together for an atmospheric experience.

It’s hard to put the band into a single genre as they fused elements of rock, pop, and electronic music — along with some classical violin playing for a fun performance that had fans on their feet the whole time. The Los Angeles-based duo is made up of John Sinclair and Fil Thorpe who are already getting attention for their unique sound. The band released their debut EP, Palm Reader, last year and already have several songs with millions of streams on Spotify. 

I’m Music Magazine was there to catch the performance and some photos of the sold out show. You can see the full gallery below. 

Review & Pix by I’m Music Magazine Photographer/Writer Michael Praats