WALLOWS - MODEL TOUR
by Caitlin Dennis | September 2nd, 2024
All images are from Wallows - Model Tour in Chicago, IL on 9/02/24.
Photo by Caitlin Dennis | @cait.dennis.photography
Fans piled into Northerly Island’s amphitheater with such excitement on Monday the energy was palpable. Fans who have been around since the beginning in 2017 to fans who have just recently found the trio of Dylan Minnette, Braden Lemasters, and Cole Preston, or Wallows as you may know them, eagerly awaited to make their way into the beautiful lakeside venue. This is Wallow’s biggest tour to date, stopping at notable venues such as Madison Square Garden in New York, the Kia Forum in LA, and Red Rocks in Colorado among many other large amphitheaters and arenas before heading overseas for their next leg of the tour.
Their new album ‘Model’ has gotten mixed reviews from fans and critics alike, with some saying it's their smartest album yet, to others left wanting more than ballads. In my opinion, the album is still a classic Wallows sound that I could recognize in a heartbeat, and having been a fan for so many years, I can't help but let the good outweigh the bad. With that said, I am excited for their next project and how they will continue to adapt their sound. Not all projects are for everyone and that's the beauty of the art of music.
Photo by Caitlin Dennis | @cait.dennis.photography
To get fans warmed up for the trio was BENEE. An alternative artist from New Zealand, she brings a fun fresh sound to the scene. You may know her from one of her most popular songs that of course made its rounds on tiktok, ‘Supalonely’. She is clearly growing in popularity for a reason. She brought a ton of energy to the stage and fans were dancing and singing along to her set with quite the buzz. She has quite the bubbly personality and I would say she got the job done. I am personally excited to see what her career holds in store. I may be biased as I am also a fan and find myself adding her music to lots of my playlists, but she is definitely worth checking out if you haven’t already.
Having attended Wallow’s last tour, it was super exciting to see how much they have grown. Mid 2022 I found myself in a 3,900 cap room with the trio, but tonight I was in a 30,000 cap venue. The band and fans alike brought enough energy to fill the space for sure.
They opened the show with ‘Do Not Wait’ , a more ethereal and ominous opening than previous tours. As the show progressed it was clear how much more comfortable they have all gotten performing. The energy was up a great deal from last tour (not that the last tour wasn’t good, it definitely was) and the audience definitely felt it. Fans were jumping and dancing and interacting with the boys all night.
Photo by Caitlin Dennis | @cait.dennis.photography
While the stage set was very minimal, it fit the band very well. Instead of a physical stage set, there were several different changing curtains/ screens providing visuals for the band. Every few songs the screen changed and fans saw the model album cover, a curtain full of stars, a plain curtain, and the band's classic all caps ‘WALLOWS’ graphic which lit up and changed colors through their set. As a fun surprise to fans as well, about halfway through the show the band made their way through the pit to a B stage set up and passed the general admission area in the seats, with Dylan singing along the way. As fans clamored and raced to walk alongside Dylan, Cole and Braden snuck over to the B stage. They sang a few songs here, and despite Dylan’s in ears failing to work, they still left fans around them in awe. Particularly one girl, who the camera man began to favor as we got plenty of shots of her laughing and crying (and never realizing she was on the big screen) as the trio performed in front of her. A heartwarming sight to say the least.
As the boys made their way back to the main stage, it was Braden’s turn to shine, and he walked his way through the pit serenading the audience as Cole and Dylan snuck their way back to the stage.
There was another surprise in store, but this time for their band mate Danny who was celebrating his birthday that day. As Danny came right down front and center on the stage, everyone quickly snuck off stage leaving Danny quite confused in the middle of his trumpet solo. The band quickly reappeared with a large birthday cake and the entire amphitheater quickly erupted singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to dear Danny.
The show ended with ‘Only Ecstacy’ from their new album and the boys took a final bow before leaving the stage. The energy could still be felt as fans funneled out of the amphitheater after a great show. These guys are definitely a band to keep on your radar if you enjoy indie alternative music.
