I’ve only been to two concerts in my lifetime, both this summer with more to come this school year. My favorite so far was the Wallows concert I went to on Aug. 22 at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. Wallows is a band that I listen to from time to time but only with the release of their new album Model, had I truly come to love them. My friend Bella had agreed to go with me about a week earlier and we arrived at 7 p.m. We went to the merch line and got some ice cream and fries as well.
When we got back the opener BENEE came out. She was full of energy and interacted with the crowd, playing her upbeat and magical songs, like “Wishful Thinking”, “Find An Island” and “Supalonely”. She also did some polite headbanging as well. She left with the same enthusiasm as she had come out waving with a big smile painted across her face.
We waited five more minutes when a big black curtain, with the white bold lettering reading WALLOWS, dropped in front of the stage. Everyone cheered and I got even more excited while my friend and I put on our $40 t-shirts.
The beginning chords of “Do Not Wait” from their first album Nothing Happens, struck my ears as the black curtain faded into a white one. The shadow projection of Dylan Minette singing with the microphone in his hand commanded everyone to look at him. The room fell silent. As he sang the lyrics, the strobe lights gave the illusion of the band spinning around and around. I was amazed.
The curtain went blank and “Your Apartment” played out as the curtain finally dropped. Braedon LeMasters on guitar and Cole Preston on drums their silhouettes finally revealed. That is when I knew that this concert was going to be one for the books. As they ran across the stage, sang, danced and played more songs, like “Anytime, Always”, “Don’t You Think That It’s Strange?” and “Scrawny”, I realized this is where I belong, many like-minded people screaming the lyrics and hitting imaginary drums.
My personal favorite from their whole discography is “At the End of the Day”, from their second album Tell Me That It’s Over. I almost cried during this one as I swayed with the rest of the crowd. The soft and nostalgic instrumental and pointed lyrics hold a special place in my heart.
Minette went through the pit and crowd during “She’s An Actress”, getting flowers and interacting with the crowd. The two other members made their way to the B-stage at Merriweather to play for the lawn seats. While I couldn’t perfectly see them from my seat, I still sang along to the three songs they played. They returned to the stage playing more songs and then ending with “I Don’t Want to Talk”. They had an encore which included “Are You Bored Yet?” and “Only Ecstasy”—a final goodbye before disappearing backstage once again.
This concert is one I haven’t been able to get out of my mind since I left the venue. I felt the energy from everyone around me. I will do anything in my power to see them in concert again. I have an even stronger love and obsession now that I have had the privilege of seeing them live.