Wallows Shine At Smart Financial Center

On August 17th, Wallows and opener BENEE rocked the stage with their indie vocals and calm demeanor. Fans filled Sugar Land, Smart Financial Center, in cute outfits and admiration for these young artists.

At 7:30 PM, BENEE hit the stage in a cute sweater and a sweet voice. She danced to songs such as “Kool,” “Soaked” and “Beach Boy” in fashionable high boots. During the middle of the set, she greets fans and Houston. A fan even gave her a Buccee’s toy, to which the artist gushed at and wrapped it around her mic. Ending the set with songs such as “Green Honda” and the infamous “Supalonely,” she was a lovely opening act.

At 8:40 PM, large bold letters flashed ‘WALLOWS’ across the screen. Then, the shadows of each band member playing their instrument glared on a white banner. As the songs “Do Not Wait” and “Your Apartment” played, a calm shaking of the lights brought shadows into distortion. The white banner then drops, revealing the band members as they sang “Anytime, Always” and “Scrawny.”

The band played different hits, and a wooden set was displayed in the background, an allusion to the MODEL tour. Performing “Don’t You Think It’s Strange,” “Quarterback” and “Bad Dream,” an array of different lights synced with the beat. After a piano interlude, the band plays “These Days” in a gorgeous sea of red lights. Another shift occurs in the back screen, where a sunset over an ocean illuminates.

The beauty on the stage, along with songs such as “Just Like A Movie” and “A Warning,” brought a calm aurora. The sunset even faded into a screen of stars keeping up with nature. During the song “She’s an Actress,” lead singer Dylan Minnette walks across the front rows, leaving awe-struck. The bass player Braeden repeats this by walking through the balcony seats during the song “Going Under.” The appreciation for the fans radiates from such excellent genres.

My favorite part of the show was the acoustic performances of older tracks: “Picture of Girls,” “1980s Horror Film” and “Drunk on Halloween.” The band moved to the side of the stage with a mock living room setup. The three members, Cole, Braeden and Dylan, each focused on playing calm, endearing music as they sat down and played their instruments.

They broke the setup with the song “Pleaser,” amplifying the energy on the main stage. Again, ‘WALLOWS’ illuminates in big white letters as they pick up the pace with hits such as “Calling After Me,” “Are You Bored Yet” and “Only Ecstasy.” They did a surprise encore of “Remember When” and “I Don’t Wanna Talk.”

The show ended on a high note with intense energy and a lovely set. Overall, the concert had a fantastic set design along with a well-paced setlist. Listen to Wallow’s new album Model and older albums such as Tell Me That It’s Over and Nothing Happens.