Couch kicked off the third leg of their high-energy “Big-Talk” Tour on Friday, January 23, in front of a sold-out crowd at Iron Works in Buffalo. Despite much of the region already sheltering inside due to frigid temperatures and looming threat of snow, fans packed inside the famed Buffalo venue, with tickets sold-out well in advance of the show.
For those already familiar, there is little doubt that Couch is poised for a massive year in 2026. The Boston-based pop rockers released their first full length album, Big Talk, in October 2025, following a series of EP releases.
The seven piece band blends elements of pop, funk, and jazz, drawing comparisons to bands such as Lake Street Dive, Lawrence, and Melt, all while infusing their own signature sound and energy to their craft. Couch features Tema Siegel (Vocals), Zach Blankstein (guitar), Will Griffin (bass), Jared Gozinsky (drums), Danny Silverston (Keyboards), Eric Tarlin (saxaphone), and Jeffrey Pinker-Smith (trumpet).
The evening kicked off with a set from Thumber. The California based indie-rockers were a fitting choice to open the evening, blending elements of pop and ambient rock, as they performed tracks off their recent release Goodbye Car.
Between sets, energy in the club bounced between the club’s walls and generated a palpable energy that was felt by those in attendance. At long last, Couch took to the stage and with a flurry of horns and launched in to “What Were You Thinking”, the lead single off Big Talk. From the opening notes, the band’s energy was contagious, with Siegel darting around the stage, while Tarlin and Pinker-Smith danced their way to center stage with their horns. The band kept the momentum going with the energetic “Saturday”, a long-standing fan favorite (and one of their earliest singles).
Singer Tema Siegel took the spotlight early on in the set, during the soulful ballad “Little Less Over You”. Paced by a catchy beat from the band’s rhythm section, Siegel layered in passionate lyrics dealing with the emotional complexities of a break up.
Over the course of the nearly two hour set, the band showcased their catchy song-writing abilities, with horn and chorus hooks that rival those heard in major pop hits. The set featured several special moments, as Eli and Virgil from Thumber returned to the stage to perform “Autumn”, while the band’s tour manager, Haley, would join in on saxophone, during “Still Feeling You”.
The main set featured fan favorite tracks including “Poems”, “Slow Burn”, “On the Wire”, and the band’s take on Brittany Spears’ “Toxic”, a track which fit the band’s skill set perfectly. The band returned to the stage for a two-song encore, thrilling the audience, who had broken in to a “Let’s go Buffalo” chant during the break and erupted when bassist Will Griffin returned donning a Buffalo Bills jersey.
The band closed with “Easy to Love” and “Middle Man” before sending the crowd back in to the cold. As the audience made their way to the exit, two things seemed certain. First, Couch is more than just big-talk, they deliver the full musical experience. Second, the band seems destined to perform on much bigger stages in the near future.
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