On Sunday 7th, San Cisco returned home to play a stunner gig at Freo.Social’s entertainment hall and tease a new record.

Opening for them was singer-songwriter Carla Geneve, who slowly drew the audience toward the cosy stage with warm heartfelt tunes and beautifully conversational lyrics.

Many in the crowd were familiar with her tracks 2001, Greg’s Discount Chemist and Listening. Her cover of Spacey Jane’s Feels Better and her song about long drives home to Albany I Hate You For Making Me Not Want To Leave The City were particularly captivating. You could close your eyes and feel like you were there in the passenger seat, feeling a sense of longing with her.

A slow fade-in of sustained synths and hazy blue lights introduced Scarlett Stevens (drums) Josh Biondillo (lead guitar), Nick Gardner (bass) and Jordi Davieson (lead vocals, guitar) to the small but spacious venue with The Distance, followed up by the sentimental Beach about a nostalgic teen romance, and the funky SloMo.

There was an air of comfort in the hall as Jordi and Scarlett then spoke of Freo, reminiscing about the first rock show they played as prepubescents at the very same venue.

“It’s great to play a show at home,” Scarlett said before discussing the band’s recent activity away working on a new record.

“You guys should be hearing some new stuff. I don’t know how soon, but kind of soon,” Jordi added.

The 15-song set featured signature feel-good tunes like Fred Astaire, Too Much Time Together, When I Dream, the infectiously bass-rich Run and flowing Hey Did I Do You Wrong.

There were also a few slower-paced tracks like Snow, About You, and the quirky Magic.

The song that started it all, Awkward, gave the crowd an electrifying energy. Hands in the air, a pool of moving bodies screamed along with the sing-song vocal interchange between Scarlet and Jordi.

Up next was the fast-paced tune Did You Get What You Came For, which Jordi told Dircksey Magazine was his favourite to play due to its challenging nature and wide array of instruments.

The sound quality was great. From the front row, only half a metre from the stage, you could feel the kick and bass pulsing through your chest, and the treble just as clear.

The night finished up with a special encore. While the enthusiasts in the crowd who’d screamed “play B-Side!” in between songs didn’t get their pick, they and everyone in the audience got a real treat—an unreleased track.

Coming back onto the stage was a sincere lone Jordi with an acoustic guitar:

“I’m going to play you a song I’ve never played to this many people and … it’s going to be on the next record. It’s called ‘Flaws’.”

He had to stop halfway amongst the “awes” and cheers in the crowd.

“Thank you, Jordi,” someone in the crowd expressed.

“Appreciate it,” another added.

He reciprocated a smile and proceeded to sing the ballad.

The rest of the band came back to wrap up the 60-minute set with Fred Astaire and Too Much Time Together.

Often when attending big concerts or festivals, there’s a sense of the disparity between the crowd and the performer. There’s security flashing a light in your face, telling you to get off your mate’s shoulders, and a jumbotron turning the ant-sized dot you came to see into a godly image.

But Sunday night at Freo.Social was a cozy collection of youthful locals both on stage and in the crowd, in cons, funky shirts and rolled-up jeans, sharing the gift of music for a little while.