By Molly McCoy
Friday, September 6th felt like the last summer encore as Wallows brought their Model Tour to Salt Lake City. Utah fans had to wait for a bit as Utah is one of the final few stops before they return to California for their hometown show on September 12th. The concert being held outside was the perfect setting with the beautiful Utah mountains as the backdrop to the stage.
The night started with BENEE, this was the first time that I had heard of BENEE, and I was so excited to see her set. Due to traffic, I got into the venue right as her set started. I ran to the photo pit so I could be there for the first three songs. Not only was her stage presence adorable, but she was able to really captivate the crowd the entire time she was on stage. There were even fans who were requesting songs, to which she replied she would sing later in the set. While her music had somewhat of an electronic sound to it, her vocals are incredible. My two favorite songs were Sad Boi and Wishful Thinking. While her talent is apparent, what made her so much fun to watch was how comfortable she was on stage, frequently interacting with the crowd and having a smile on throughout the whole show. I am hopeful that she has her own headlining show in Utah soon!
Finally, it was time, Wallows took the stage and the crowd went wild. The first two songs on the setlist are the same first two songs on their new album. “Your Apartment” and “Anytime, always.” The crowd was ecstatic as they cheered and danced along. Just before going into their 4th song, Dylan commented that they do not normally perform while the sun is still up, as it had just begun to set. Then continued to announce that they would be playing an older song called “Sun Tan” The crowd exploded into cheers before the first notes of the song played. They even included a fun outro of “What Makes You Beautiful” by One Direction.
If the first four songs of the night told us anything it was that this was going to be a high- energy night. I made my way to the back of the venue to take in the whole performance and stage setup. While I had been a casual listener of Wallows leading up to this show I constantly found myself being amazed throughout their performance. The band consists of Dylan Mintnette who is the lead singer and plays guitar. Braeden Lemasters who plays bass guitar and sings and Cole Preston on drums. All three of them perform so well together, there is a comradery there that sets them apart.
There were a few standout moments of the night, the first being Dylan’s vocals in Uncomfortable. While his vocals were clear the entire performance there was something particular about this song that made them stand out more, which I loved. After that song he walked into the crowd while singing “She’s an actress” I was also impressed with how well his singing held up as he was surrounded by fans, he would make little side comments as he walked to B-Stage and kept pitch and tempo.
B-Stage was my favorite part of the night, I love B-stages as they create a more intimate environment for the audience. It also allows the people in the back of the venue to have a closer look at the artists as they perform. This B-stage was set up to resemble a living room, with lamps
and chairs for the band to sit. Everyone in the back of the venue rushed over to the second stage trying to get as close as they could. At this point, in the show, Wallows did a 3-song acoustic set playing, “Pictures of Girls”, “Drunk on Halloween” and “OK”. My favorite of the three was drunk on Halloween and the band kept referencing the fact that the people at the barricade were just as energetic with them over on B-stage as they were when they were on the main stage. Before starting “OK” the rest of the band went back on the mainstage as Braeden started singing and walking through the crowd, taking his time, and stopping by the merch table to sing to fans before returning to the main stage.
Unfortunately, the night had to end, playing another 5 songs before their 2 songs encore, the band played 23 songs. I love a longer setlist as it allows the crowd and band to connect and helps create a lasting memory of hearing all your favorite songs live. The night ended with them singing “Are You Bored Yet” and “I’m Full.” As fans left the venue all I could hear was conversation about how much fun the night was. Dylan at one point in the show talked about how Salt Lake City is one of their favorite cities to play in because of how invested the crowd is and how well the crowd matches the energy. With that said, I know I speak for many when I say that Salt Lake is eagerly awaiting the return of Wallows, until then we will be singing along and reminiscing on the good times that were brought to us on September 6th.
