Alternative and punk rock teens and 20-somethings lined up outside The Foundry Nov. 27 to see a full lineup of artists opening for The Wrecks. The crowd ranged from devoted fangirls to those just waiting for some good music from familiar names in the punk music genre.
The first opening band was The Stolen, a little-known alternative band made up of four young men from New Jersey. The group formed in 2013 and has been slowly emerging into the limelight ever since, releasing an EP and several singles. The Stolen started off the concert with a softer rock tone compared to the bands that would follow, which was a surprising introduction due to the difference in styles.
The second opener was Deal Casino, a much more well-known band among rock fans. The band entered the dark stage to the repetition of a synthesizer whine. This synthesizer noise led directly into their first song “My Gun.” They continued to belt out lyrics to their psychedelic ballads, even including a small television playing clips of sitcoms to introduce one song.
The entire performance was a complete sensory overload, bright lights overhead shining into the audience’s eyes while the band played onstage, and ear-deafening music blasting through the large speakers on each side of the stage, especially during their soulful song “Chocolate Cake.” This performance was the physical manifestation of Deal Casino’s psychedelic sound. At the end of their set, Joe Parella, the vocalist, climbed upon the scaffolding of the venue’s ceiling to take a polaroid selfie in front of the crowd, ending the set with a bang as he jumped down with his guitar. Their zany lights and crazy antics made their show more of an experience, not just live music.
The final opening band was Badflower, a band made up of four Los Angeles musicians playing songs from their studio album “Ok, I’m Sick.” Badflower is a hard rock group that has been opening for other bands like The Struts and Pop Evil within the past few years. Josh Katz, the lead singer and guitarist for the band, was definitely the biggest personality on stage. His crazed smile set the tone for his group’s brooding and emotionally passionate music. By the end of Badflower’s set, it was obvious that the audience was itching to see The Wrecks after sitting through three other bands, and they didn’t have long to wait.
Finally, it was time for the main act. The Wrecks emerged to the cheers of all. The LA based group immediately opened with their hit “Figure This Out.” After the group energetically played two songs from their EP, “Panic Vertigo,” they performed a newly written song called “This Life I Have.” During this song, the lead singer Nick Anderson led the audience in how the song would pick up in tempo. The song was filled with angst and reflection on life as a star, and the dramatic shift in tempos made the song lively and dance-able. The emergence of newly written and unreleased songs continued as a trend throughout the set, as The Wrecks have only officially released eight songs.
Other new unreleased songs that were introduced during the show included “Rely.” This song explored the difficulty that comes with a change in relationships as a couple grows apart. The song did not employ the usual high volume and elaborate guitar solos usually found The Wreck’s other works, but its deep slow lyrics set it at a sharp contrast from the other music that night in the best way. The other unreleased song performed was “Freaking Out” an authentically punk rock tune that was clearly in The Wreck’s style. The crowd went wild for this sneak peek into the opportunities of music to come, and they danced and attempted to sing along to the lyrics they were not yet familiar with.
The Wrecks continued the show with several more tracks from their album, carrying out humorous conversations with the audience concerning what they should play to fill time. The set concluded with their hit single “Favorite Liar,”, which has gained over 12 million listens on Spotify. During this song, fans scrambled to the front of the audience, crowd surfing and even attempting to jump up onto the stage itself. The band then slowly left the stage, much to the dismay of their screaming audience.
The band then rushed back onstage to play an encore. However, all eight songs from their discography had been played, so the final two songs were “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” by Jet, and “Life,” which was written by lead singer Nick Anderson as a teenager, which reflected on his confusion after moving to California. The two songs introduced a combination familiar with The Wrecks’ setlist, a combination of emotional depth and a fun tune that gets fans jumping up off the floor.
The concert as a whole was a diverse conglomeration of artists belonging to the rock genre. I left the concert with my ears ringing and with The Wrecks’ newest catchy songs stuck in my head. As I was leaving the concert I was not disappointed by the amount of music I had been given the experience to watch that night. Although my feet ached after standing through four different bands, I would return to see each of them perform again if given the chance.