Alternative rock band Wallows put on a vibrant and passionate set at Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island over Labor day weekend in support of their latest album release Model, It was a beautifully cool late summer night in Chicago and Wallows made it the perfect addition to one of the city's dwindling few outdoor summer shows.
Wallows seems to be the type of band that has that “boy band” flair with a noticeable number of “fan-girls” making up a grand majority of the concert’s audience. Their love and devotion for the band however is unparalleled to other fandoms, as I had never seen pretty much the entire front row of fans crying tears of pure joy and excitement as the band paraded on stage. Fans loudly cheered as they were greeted with the opening track, “Your Apartment,” a very high-spirited track performed by lead singer Dylan Minnette. Bandmates Braeden Lemasters (guitar/vocals) and Cole Preston (guitar/drums) commanded the stage while fans swooned over Dylan as he removed his drenched hoodie.
The trio performed an excellent mix of songs from their growing discography making the perfect setlist for any fan of Wallows! I was very excited to hear them pull a handful of songs from my favorite album of theirs, Nothing Happens, Including tracks “Scrawny,” “Remember When,” and “Are You Bored Yet?” (Sadly no Clairo guest appearance.)
There has been this trend I’ve been noticing more and more with a lot of touring bands and artists currently touring or that may have toured recently where they will incorporate a “B-Stage” where the band or artist plays a few songs on a separate stage that is more crowd centered and gives a more intimate feeling for the show as well as a chance for fans in the back of the crowds to be up close as well!
The boys certainly love walking through the crowds and amongst fans as this happened on a few occasions throughout their set; making fans go absolutely feral. As they made their way to the B-stage, various house lamps warmly lit up their temporary stage as the house cameras highlighted all of the sobbing fans in the crowd. The band settled and performed an acoustic three song run consisting of “Pictures of Girls,” “Only Friend,” and “Drunk on Halloween.” The band concluded the whole affair with an electric encore that included their tour debut of their classic 2017 track “Sun Tan.”
Wallows has effortlessly cultivated a very loyal following over the years and although Minnette may have had an advantage starring in various on-screen roles; the music speaks for itself and they are absolutely keeping alternative rock both alive and fresh. Their layered vocals and noisy guitars paired with catchy hooks is the perfect concoction for great alternative music. I have no doubt the band will grow towards even greater achievements as it was already unbelievable to see the massive crowd they drew into Northerly Island!
