Wavves
Thursday night hosted an incredible Wavves show at the intimate Irenic.
Just before the listed show time, opening act Kino Kimino was in full swing. Twenty-ish people crowded onto the lifted platform in front of the stage, while another handful kept to themselves, scattered about the church. However, with each song, the energy picked up a little more. Lead singer Kim Talon, adorned with on-trend space buns, kept the audience hooked on every word. During one song, Talon even pulled a guy and a girl up to bounce around on stage while the band played. Backed by Sonic Youth’s Lee Ranaldo and despite a relatively small following so far, (as of writing, their top song on Spotify has just over 5,000 plays) Kino Kimino is certainly going to keep getting bigger. Take a peek at “Passion” from their debut album “Bait Is For Sissies.”
Despite Kino Kimino finishing by 8 p.m., it was another 45 minutes before Wavves took the stage. Before the band played, the room transformed into a sauna, with anxious fans moving and turning their energy into a physical heat stuffing the room. During the wait, many a fan took refuge on the patio, which is every bit just the right aesthetic to take the perfect ‘gram, with Bougainvillea vines the Spanish-style architecture, with Italian lights hanging above it.
Finally, Wavves entered, and the beginning notes of “Way Too Much” played out as the band collected themselves and their instruments. Admitting to fighting sickness, vocalist Nathan William’s raspy voice added to the surf-grunge vibe of the music. Having just dropped their new album “You’re Welcome,” Wavves played newer tracks “You’re Welcome” and “Million Enemies” alongside classics “King of the Beach,” “Afraid of Heights,” and “Sail to the Sun.” Stage divers and crowd surfers risked being dropped as the front filled up with sweating, dancing fans of all ages. The room only got hotter as and movement grew. The band finished with the usual suspect, “Green Eyes.”
Keep an eye out for the next time either of these acts come to town, and don’t forget to check out Wavves’ fresh new album that’s every bit of the Wavves fans know and love.