Wavves: 11/3

Waiting for the openers to come out, the entire room in the Oriental Theatre had attendees shivering. The venue was just as frigid as the early-winter temperature outside, but it did not take long to get warmed up. 

Openers Harmless and Flaurel put on entertaining performances that got the room bubbling with applause and heads bopping. As the openers finished, the room filled, and the once calm atmosphere created by Flaural’s dream-like performance began to fade away. 

Wavves frontman, Nathan Williams, entered the stage with a leather jacket slung over his shoulder and a beer in hand as the crowd erupted with noise. With the first guitar riff in the song, “Way Too Much,” the crowd transformed into a moving and breathing entity charged with excitement. With elbows out and energies high, a mosh pit formed that took over the majority of the floor, and did not end with the first song. 

Throughout the entire concert, the audience was shoving each other, falling over, headbanging and dancing. Even with blood-stained shirts and people being pushed and shoved, the violence that occurred was not out of malicious intent. People were looking out for mosh pit participants who fell down and for the most part respected the boundaries of those on the outskirts of the mosh.

Although all of Wavves’s songs have an element of rock that gets the listener’s blood pumping, the pop and indie elements in the music allowed for an upbeat and amiable atmosphere that balanced out the intensity and violence. People were dancing with one another while enjoying themselves and the music.

The intense energy that came from the audience was reflective of the quality of Wavves’s performance. The sound was well-balanced, with the vocals at a perfect volume in conjunction with the bass, guitars and drums. Williams and his bandmates were able to keep energies high while also integrating a few mellow songs to break up the chaos and give the audience a moment to catch their breath. 

Charged with powerful synchronicity between the audience and the band, Wavves’s performance at the Oriental Theatre on Nov. 4 was proof that live music is back, and when done well can pack a punch.

Soccer Mommy: 11/4

Although a stark contrast from the show the night prior, similarly to Wavves, Soccer Mommy captivated the audience with every second of her time on stage.  

Dressed in all black under the colorful stage lights, Sophie Regina Allison, better known as Soccer Mommy, got the show started with her dynamic vocals and guitar playing. Starting with new songs such as “Bloodstream” and “Circle the Drain” sparked excitement amongst the audience, while oldies such as “Last Girl” and “Cool” had an equally powerful effect. 

In the live music setting, Soccer Mommy was not confined to the calm nature that characterizes the majority of their songs. More than once, Allison hung her head down, hair covering her face as she shredded the guitar. 

The fervor packed into the performance was balanced with slowness, especially when the other bandmates left the stage and Allison performed a few songs on her own. Looking around at the audience, everyone seemed at ease, swaying along to the music with eyes focused on the stage. 

When the show was over, the audience stood around, knowing that the end had not come so soon. The band re-entered the stage and finished up with two Soccer Mommy staples “Your Dog” and “Scorpio Rising,” which left the crowd fulfilled.

Check out Wavves and Soccer Mommy and keep a lookout for when they will be back in Denver.