Photo by Pooneh Ghana
October 9th, 2025, alternative indie singer Greta Kline, also known as Frankie Cosmos, took her Different Talking tour to San Diego’s very own The Quartyard for a night of ambiance, vibes, and live music. Kline’s West Coast leg of her tour brought along bedroom pop artist Emily Yacina and psychedelic folk artist Chris Cohen as her openers.
Emily Yacina, most notable for her collaborations with Alex G in the song “Treehouse,” brought such raw and emotional songs to her set, which was mostly composed of songs from her new record. Despite having a prevalent usage of lo-fi melodies, she had strong progressions in various songs, keeping the audience interested and engaged. There was a variety of instruments used, as some songs would just be her and a guitar, while others had a bass, keyboard, synths, and backing vocals on top. In addition to the sonic variations, Yacina has been a great lyricist throughout her career. So hearing songs like “Veilfall” with such anxious and heartbreaking lyrics in accordance with her twee synths was impactful in the most basic sense. In general, her discography, filled with indie folk sounds and angsty lyrics about unrequited love, created a beautifully haunting set.
Following Yacina, the second opener, Chris Cohen performed more folk; however, in a much more psychedelic way. His stage setup was more elaborate than Yacina’s, as he performed alongside a whole band. I was new to Cohen as an artist, and his music reminded me of Andrew Bird, as his lyrics created such philosophical narratives on top of fuzzy instrumentation, reminding me of Bird’s absurdist atmosphere. Unfortunately, it was difficult to make out what he was singing and saying, considering how loud the music was compared to his low and mellow vocals. Regardless of how audible he was, the music itself was amazing and ranged from traditional instruments to using non-Western percussion like maracas, shakers, etc. The way Cohen and his band broke down the songs was not only impressive but in general made an entertaining set. Songs like “Physical Address” were fun and lighthearted, while maintaining an existential vibe. Overall, my favorite song from his performance was “Randy’s Chimes,” which was inspired by his neighbor loudly singing karaoke to themselves.
Finally, beginning around 8 pm, Frankie Cosmos entered the stage, prompting many people to get up from their seats and crowd around the stage. Kline played a set mostly composed of songs from her latest album, Different Talking. From those in the crowd I talked to, they came to this concert for the nostalgia of Frankie Cosmos, an artist who had such an influence on indie bedroom pop music. Therefore, many did not know or listen to Kline’s latest releases; however, hearing these new songs live had everyone in awe. Comparing the studio version to live performances of these songs, Kline’s movement from playing bass to the analog synthesizer to guitar—and her slight but noticeable note changes on songs like “Fool,” “Leonie,” and “Pothole”—gave angst and edge to the live versions. Around the middle of her set, she brought back an oldie, “Sappho,” to which everyone was collectively singing and dancing with her. Considering the smaller size of the venue, there was a sense of intimacy between the artist and the audience that I saw and appreciated. I specifically loved her performance of “One of Each,” which had such isolating lyrics with indie folk music reminiscent of Julia Jacklin, and “Outside With the Cuties,” which was another deep cut that blended male and female harmonies extremely well. Despite being on a strict schedule and needing to minimize her interactions with the crowd, Kline was great at making her audience feel included and seen.
Moments from an evening with Frankie Cosmos:
