If life were a John Hughes movie, Wild Nothing would play the soundtrack. The indie dream pop band put on a casual show at SOhO Restaurant & Music Club Tuesday, October 18, and although they held a low-key stage presence, the college-aged crowd was enamored by the band’s heartwarming, sometimes heart wrenching, songs about what it’s like to be young and in love.
Wild Nothing’s musical genre can be described as organic soft-rock; the blend of synthesizer and frontman Jack Tatum’s enchanting voice is the new soundtrack for American teenagers. Even though their songs can be hard to tell apart, it’s music to get lost in — close your eyes, and sway away the pains of impending adulthood.
The most entertaining part of the show was when Tatum forgot the chorus to “Disappear Always,” a tune the band doesn’t usually play live. “Not gonna lie,” he confessed. “I smelled waffles for like 30 seconds”; it turned out that a fan was smoking a waffle-flavored vape. Tatum’s charm truly showed when he got show-goers to harmonize to the dreamy “Summer Holiday.”
The band played their most well-known song “Shadow” last while the crowd jumped up and down gleefully, turning the frowns most of the hipster’s had worn through out the night to grins. Wild Nothing closed the show with the hypnotic “To Know You,” highlighting the band’s unique ability to combine rock and pop in a way that isn’t heard on the radio. It would make a great ending song to a 1980s romantic comedy.
SETLIST
Nocturne
Only Heather
Live in Dreams
A Woman’s Wisdom
TV Queen
Paradise
Alien
Lady Blue
Disappear Always
Summer Holiday
Shadow
ENCORE
To Know You