Wolf Alice in Concert, Bigger and Better Than Ever
Graphic by Anya Perel-Arkin
By Karenna Umscheid
I saw Wolf Alice in concert nearly a year ago and was blown away by their electricity and vibrant energy. This past week, they upgraded in size from the Paradise Rock Club to Big Night Live, and managed to bring enough energy to fill a stadium concert.
Luna Li (she/her), the opening act, dressed in funky pastels, took the audience on a meditative journey. From her bedroom pop hits (such as her collaboration with Beabadobee, Silver into Rain), to her solely instrumental tracks, Li awakened the energy warranted for Wolf Alice’s set and eased us into a powerful show.
When Wolf Alice took the stage, the audience erupted in deafening cheers. Opening with “Smile,” the band’s sound and instrumentals were perfect, the guitar strumming was as electric and fierce as the song is. Moving to the more upbeat “You’re a Germ,” the crowd screamed each lyric with as much intensity as the band did, jumping around and freely throwing their hands in the air. The setlist was nearly identical to the year prior, as they haven’t released any new original music, but hearing each song was like hearing it for the first time.
Last year’s concert was the most fun and brilliant use of lighting I had experienced at a show. The venue glowed in every color, filled with gorgeous patterns and stunning lighting on the band. With the larger venue, the lighting was even more magical. Throughout the night, the colors flashed from deep blues, to fuschias and magentas, washes of light pink, and an orange haze, each color feeling more gorgeous than the last.
Concert energy simply doesn’t get better than Wolf Alice during “Play The Greatest Hits.” The stage, smothered in neon green, was graced with the lyrics “ITS NOT LOUD ENOUGH” on the background screen. Guitarist Joff Oddie and Bassist Theo Ellis, along with lead singer Ellie Rowswell, played and danced back and forth on the stage. We danced and jumped with so much vigor it seemed like the ground was rattling, an earthquake of alternative rock. Though the song packed just as powerful a punch at the show last year, the amenities of Big Night Live allowed them to expand the energy. Wolf Alice is phenomenally versatile, with upbeat and intense rock tracks alongside emotional ballads, tied together through an abundance of love and passion. The excitement radiating through the crowd came from the performance, where both guitarists played ferociously, encouraging the crowd to sing louder and louder.
During “Safe From Heartbreak if You Never Fall in Love,” the crowd swayed as we were washed in the soft afterglow of the spotlight, shining on lead singer Ellie as she serenaded us, her stunning voice echoing through the room. They ended their set with “Last Man on Earth,” and to chant the lyrics of such a melancholic song with a crowd full of strangers is an unbelievably cathartic experience.
The band returned to the stage for one last song, the lovely and iconic “Don’t Delete The Kisses.” A film photo of a rose loomed in the back, and Ellie introduced the final track as a song about simply falling in love. As we all sang the love song, memories connected to it may be filled with joy or heartbreak, we gain another memory of the song, one where there is nothing else in the world to think of but the music.