Since 2017, The Wrecks have been putting on shows in Utah that consistently get better and better. From playing Kilby Court to playing a sold out show at the Complex last year, the fans keep coming back for more. With the release of their newest EP, “OUTSIDE,” The Wrecks kick off their tour right here in Salt Lake City, Utah. This being their first time playing at the Depot and bringing a killer lineup of bands, the Finally : OUTSIDE Tour is one that has been highly anticipated by the fans.
Starting off the night, and the entire tour, was Kid Sistr. This all-female indie rock band took the stage and immediately had everyone in the venue vibing. The music they produced made it feel like I was listening to an alt-rock version of Ethel Cain. Each of the three members on stage had a super energetic presence, and it just looked like they were having so much fun playing their music. The crowd went wild for their music. With their songs they brought themes of gay panic, being in awful relationships, girls kissing girls. Kid Sistr is for the girls and the gays. As they approached the end of their set, it was clear that everyone in the show became a fan for life. I am excited to see Kid Sistr return to Utah to play on a headlining tour of their own. They would be amazing on the Kilby Court Stage.
Next up of the night was Chicago based band, Worry Club. Coming from their own headlining tour supporting their newest album, “I’m Freaking Out,” Worry Club makes their return to a Utah stage with an incredibly explosive energy and sound. The movement on stage mixed with the exciting guitar sounds created such a hyped vibe. There wasn’t one person who wasn’t moving to this performance. Frontman, Chase Walsh, had amazing interactions with the crowd as well. From getting everyone to stick middle fingers up during one of their songs, to asking the crowd which dirty soda they should get on their way to Colorado. Worry Club put on an absolutely killer performance. Their sound took full advantage of the full band, but there would be points in songs where the sound would break, and for a second there would be silence before going back into the heavy guitars and drums. It had a very cool effect on the music, and the crowd loved it. With the end of their set, the crowd was officially warmed up and ready for our headliner to take the stage.
Finally, it was time for The Wrecks to go on stage. This was about to be a very interesting show, as it would be the first time ever that the band would be playing without their original drummer, Billy Nally. Following the decision of the band removing Billy for what fans have speculated as malicious reasons, The Wrecks have brought on a new touring drummer, Zendé Murdock, who you might know as the drummer for The Runarounds. For fans of both bands, this tour is definitely one that you do not want to miss.
Starting off their set with their song “Freaking Out,” it was clear that we were in for a night of a classic Wrecks concert experience. The crowd was absolutely wild for every single song being played, singing back every single lyric being sung. With such a strong start to the show, The Wrecks started getting into their new music from their EP, “OUTSIDE.” The band began their live debut of “Split Lip,” and it came as no surprise that this is definitely a fan favorite on the new album. This led into another live debut of their song “Don’t Look So Surprised.” It was at this point where the frontman, Nick Anderson, began forgetting lyrics.
Throughout the night Nick forgetting the lyrics to the songs became more and more frequent, but that did not stop the crowd from enjoying the show. The crowd became a part of the show in that way, as we helped sing parts of songs that were forgotten. It was really special and showed just how powerful The Wrecks music really is. The Wrecks is a band that encompasses what it means to be human.
Making their way through the set, there were some technical difficulties from the equipment as well, but it created another special moment where they brought someone from the crowd up on stage to help untangle a cable. At this point they asked if someone had a five dollar bill to help pay this fan for their help, to which they pointed out Maya in the crowd. Maya gave her money, and in return Nick granted her to get a free sweatshirt from the merch stand. It was such a fun fan interaction while they dealt with equipment difficulties.
Getting back into the music, they also played their song “Know It All,” which was another live debut from their newest EP. By the end of the night, The Wrecks will have played through every single one of their songs off of the “OUTSIDE” EP. The setlist was a great mix of songs from “Infinitely Ordinary,” “INSIDE:” and “OUTSIDE.” They played one song from their “Sonder” album but no songs from “Panic Vertigo,” or “Static” EPs.
Ending off their set, the band began to play their song “Hanging Out,” to which crowd participation was crucial. At the end of the song, the band sings the lyrics “…and the night goes on” over and over again. The crowd kept this lyric going even after the band had left the stage. After a bit, the band finally came back out on stage for their encore. Though this was a staged interaction for the band to come back out, it was a very creative way to incorporate their music into an encore chant. The band would go on to play their song “This Life I Have,” and ending off the night with “Favorite Liar.” It was a perfect end to an incredibly exciting show, and I cannot wait for The Wrecks to return to Utah.
Review by Sam Howard
Photos by Jaye Short
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