Story and photos by Thomas Iacobucci
Wrapped around the corner of Seventh Avenue and 15th Street North in Ybor City, a line comprised of millennials and Generation Z’ers stood in excitement, waiting for the doors of The Ritz Ybor to open.
Hanging above the waiting line, a classic theater marquee painted in a deep maroon and contrasted with chipped away gold as a border, read “Wallows. Wednesday. Doors 7 p.m.”
Wallows, an indie-rock trio from Los Angeles, performed at The Ritz Ybor on Feb. 16 to a sold-out crowd, assuring their newfound dominance among this generation of the indie rock movement.
Consisting of Dylan Minnette (guitar and vocals), Braeden Lemasters (guitar and vocals), and Cole Preston (drums), this indie-pop trio burst onto the scene in 2017 with the release of its hit single “Pleaser,” which eventually reached No. 2 on the Spotify Global Viral 50 Chart.
The band’s success and notoriety only grew after the release of Netflix’s “13 Reasons Why,” starring co-frontman Minnette.
Having dropped singles and EPs over the past few years, the band eventually released its first full studio album in 2019 titled “Nothing Happens” to a slew of positive reviews.
Further establishing themselves within the alternative and indie rock genre with this release, the album sits on the fine line of post-punk and bedroom pop, with an underlying inspired sound of classic surf rock.
The 11-track record shows the band’s range of genre-bending sound, most evident in the album’s first single “Are You Bored Yet?” featuring Clairo.
Having only toured once before, Wallows emerged onto The Ritz Ybor stage to a whirl of screams and shouts being spurted from every person in attendance.
Standing in front of a white screen that read “Wallows” in bold lettering and font matching the album cover of “Nothing Happens,” the trio immediately delved into their set, opening with “Treacherous Doctor,” though it could barely be heard amongst the noise emitting from the crowd.
The three piece segued into “Sidelines,” another track from the latest album, with the help of backing member Danny Ferenbach on trumpet and keyboard.
The majority of the set consisted of songs from the latest album, though fans were still given the treat of hearing the band’s past hits such as “Drunk on Halloween,” “Pictures of Girls,” and even a quick riff of Vampire Weekend’s “Harmony Hall,” played by Lemasters.
Citing themes of love and adolescence, Wallows hit every major chord amongst the crowd in attendance.
The band’s youthful energy remained evident all the way up to its closing song and subsequent encore, fully immersing the crowd into a one-night-only experience.
Wallow’s playful sound, contrasted with subtle themes of growing up and going against the norm of societal standards, were all evident in the5 Tampa set.
The indie/alternative rock group will remain on tour until the end of the summer of 2020, crossing North America, eventually ending in the United Kingdom.
So, if you missed the Ybor City show, there is still plenty of time to Wallow.
