Author: Gracie Cole
Cover photo courtesy of Noelle Lee.
After waiting outside in the rain, I entered Neumos excited and unaware of what to expect. In preparation for the show, I listened to The Jester, Wallice’s release from 2024, and fell in love with the circus analogy, as she calls herself a jester to explore her impostor syndrome. Upon entering the venue, it was clear that their fanbase loved this aspect as well, as many people were dressed up in varying levels of clown attire. I could tell that I was surrounded by devoted fans, and the energy was electric as they were waiting for the show to start. As I got to the venue, I watched the crowd interact and talked to fans, all of whom seemed very passionate about Wallice, which only increased my excitement for how the album would translate into the performance.
Photo courtesy of Noelle Lee.
When the lights dimmed, Maz, who was opening for Wallice, entered the stage, geared with a microphone and a laptop, from which she played the instrumental track and background vocals. She began her set with “Kiss Kiss Boom,” which mixed flowy vocals with a heavy electropop sound. She followed it up with “Sugarpill” as well as a few unreleased songs from her upcoming EP NPC, including the earworm-inducing titular track. As she sang, she reached out into the audience, entrancing the crowd with her presence. She interacted with the audience frequently, responding to their shouts and laughing upon noticing that someone in the front row was filming with a DS. As she exited the stage, she hyped the crowd up for Wallice before stepping onto the floor and talking to fans. Maz’s new EP, NPC, will be released on April 4.
Photo courtesy of Noelle Lee.
After a brief break filled with refilling drinks and mingling, Wallice entered the stage, dressed in full clown makeup and outfit. She opened her set with “Curtains to Close,” the haunting, waltz-y last track on The Jester, cementing the idea that the show would be centered around the concept of the album. Wallice combines indie rock with bedroom pop, fluctuating between tones and styles. The climax of the set happened with the performance of “Heaven Has To Happen,” a reflective track about imposter syndrome. The performance was beautiful, starting very minimally and slowly building, before exploding with a wall of sound and saxophone.
Wallice continued to play through most of The Jester, with my favorite track being “Look at Me,” a very stripped-down, raw song about insecurity. She sang it very close to the audience as they chanted the lyrics back to her in the chorus. She took a slight break from the album to play “Punching Bag,” a single that blew up in 2020, launching her career. At the end of the show, Wallice aptly performed “The Opener,” which is the first song on the album. With a slow, reflective song, she thanked the crowd and left the stage, stopping briefly to talk with some people in the audience.
Since the show, I have been listening to Wallice’s music a lot. The performance was incredible and brought the music to life, even more so than the already vulnerable lyrics did. I hope to see her again live and I am eagerly awaiting her next project.
Photo courtesy of Noelle Lee.
Gracie Cole I KXSU Arts Writer