Couch turned the 9:30 Club into a full-body groove session on Nov. 15, delivering a buoyant, tightly arranged set that showcased just how far the Boston-bred collective has come.
Steve Satzberg was there to photograph the show for this Parklife Snapshots photo essay.
ChatGPT wrote this concert recap to accompany original photographs by Steve Satzberg in this photo essay.
At 9:30 Club, Couch opened with “What Were You Thinking,” immediately locking into their trademark blend of bright horns, buttery keys, and stacked vocal harmonies. “Saturday” and “Little Less Over You” followed in quick succession, setting a sunny, soulful tone that had the early-evening crowd swaying shoulder to shoulder.
The band leaned heavily into material from Big Talk, with “Slow Burn,” “Transparent,” “Window,” and “On the Wire” landing like mini-anthems, each tune building from nimble verses into big, sing-along choruses. “Jessie” and “Poems” brought a more tender, slow-dance energy, the horns softening into gentle punctuation as the vocals took center stage. Midway through, “Static and Noise” and “Still Feeling You” kept the set from ever losing momentum, the rhythm section driving everything forward with a loose but laser-focused pocket.
Watch Couch perform “Poems” live in Boston on YouTube:
A surprise highlight came with a playful, horn-splashed take on Britney Spears’ “Toxic,” which Couch twisted into a swaggering, brass-funk workout that had the room shouting every word. Later, “(I Wanted) Summer With You” and “So Myself” dug into the band’s emotional side without ever dropping the groove.
Opener Stephen Day returned to the stage for “Autumn,” turning the ballad into a warm duet where his easy, soulful delivery wrapped seamlessly around Couch’s lush arrangement. The band closed with an encore of “Easy to Love” and “Middle Man,” sending fans out on a high with one last burst of feel-good horns and call-and-response refrains.
Day’s own earlier set, steeped in neo-soul and classic singer-songwriter warmth, proved an ideal match for Couch’s vibe, making his return for the collaboration feel like a natural extension of the night’s easy, communal energy.
Here are some photos of Couch performing live at 9:30 Club on Nov. 15, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Steve Satzberg.
Here are some photos of Stephen Day opening Couch at 9:30 Club on Nov. 15, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Steve Satzberg.
