Opener: Arlie
Headliner: The Wrecks
Genre (The Wrecks): #indierock #poppunk #altrock
When my friend told me that she didn't have anyone to see The Wrecks with on November 15th, I immediately agreed to go. I was previously debating whether or not I should buy a ticket when they initially went on sale, but I'm glad I decided to make the purchase. I knew a few of their songs when I bought the ticket, but after binging their discography in preparation I can confidently say that they're a band that does not get enough credit. The band themselves are super likable as they try to engage the crowd through answering their requests mid show (ex. signing someone's nose splint), and try to connect with their fans on a personal level (ex. remembering that someone's boyfriend ditched them that night and dedicated the song to them in return). The show was very high energy and the smaller venue really highlighted it because everyone was actively involved. They came to Mesa last summer, too, but if they ever return to Tucson there will be no hesitation towards buying my ticket.
I had listened to the opener Arlie back in 2019 when they only had a single and an EP out, so being able to see them three years later was something I never thought I would experience. I enjoyed how Arlie called his band "The Ocolate Factory" (very creative in my opinion), and it matched their vibe exactly. With a saxophone solo in the middle of the set, Arlie falling off the stage, or just randomly screaming at the end of a song, it made the crowd stay on their toes. Even though I only recognized a few of their songs, I continued to look forward to what crazy thing the band would do next. They released an album earlier in the year that they played a few songs off of, but it was nice to see that they haven't strayed from playing most of their original EP.
When The Wrecks entered the stage, the tension was so strong in the crowd as everyone waited to see what they would open with. The song "Out of Style" was the first, and it got everyone clapping and dancing the second it began. I've never seen a crowd go from 0 to 60 like that, and the energy radiated in that venue to the very back. I knew nearly every song that played during the set, or I would recognize it and be that person constantly asking "what song is this?" as I'm singing along. One of my favorite songs by them, "I Love This Part", off their new album Sonder made the setlist, and that made me ecstatic because I've been working out to it a lot recently. After seeing The Wrecks live, though, I added even more of their work to my workout playlist because I didn't realize how much of their music was very upbeat (I love working out to punk, rock, or metal so this might not be a decision everyone would make). Furthermore, I went feral to "Freaking Out" because that was the first song I had ever heard from The Wrecks a couple years ago. I genuinely "freaked out" when it started playing, especially during the chorus, and I don't regret it one bit.
One of the songs in the encore was "Favorite Liar", and the lead singer went into the crowd during the majority of the performance. Normally when an artist does this, I can never find where they are so I just feel like I'm listening to a concert from the outside. However, the benefits of a small venue is that everyone has the artist in view, and he happened to be one person away when this happened. Everyone was collectively jumping and screaming the lyrics along with him, and it was the perfect way to end their show. I was glad to hear every song that I wanted to, and he even played "Unholy" which supposedly strains his voice. It was definitely a special night at Club Congress that night, and I can't wait to find another show playing at that venue.
Sounds Like:
Waterparks
Friday Pilots Club
SWMRS
Recommended Tracks:
Infinitely Ordinary
Freaking Out
Sonder
Written By: Elizabeth McCluskey
Date Published: 11/18/22