Author: Amanda Taylor
To kickstart the first weekend of spring quarter, Wallows began their Tell Me That It’s Over Tour at The Paramount in Seattle!
The Paramount Theater
Only a 20-minute walk from Seattle University campus, the historic Paramount theater welcomed their stage to Wallows on Friday, April 1st. The theater designated as a City of Seattle Landmark has been a stage for many artists since its opening nearly 100 years ago. The venue has been a tour stop for Pink Floyd in 1971, Queen in 1975, and was Madonna’s first show of “The Virgin Tour”, in 1985. It’s surreal to imagine such phenomenal artists performing in the same building and stage I admired.
The last time I was in the Paramount was only a couple weeks after I moved to Seattle, and I was in general admission seeing Boy Pablo. When being on the floor in any venue you get a different and closer perspective of the artists, but at the Paramount, being on the floor doesn’t allow you to see all of the beautifully crafted architecture of the theater. I had no idea the venue seated nearly 3,000 people! I was shocked to see that the venue’s seats go so high up and far back.
Seeing Wallows, I sat in the first few rows of the second-floor upper level. I had a great view of the band and got to admire the entire nine story high rounded ceilings, without all the sweaty bodies surrounding me.
Opening Act: Spill Tab
At precisely 8:04pm, Wallows opener, Spill Tab walked on stage in a patterned flowing skirt and guitar wrapped over her shoulder. I was in absolute awe to hear the first song of the night sung entirely in French. Her voice was soft and gentle, in her first performance resembling Billie Eilish. The artist with just under 800,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, gave an elevated performance of, “Anybody Else”, the easy sing along song has since been the most recent addition to my 2022 playlist on Spotify.
Spill Tab sang multiple songs from her 2021 EP, Bonnie, as she danced around the stage, waking the crowd. She sang, “Velcro”, and “Grade A”, both of which got the crowd bumping their heads. The bedroom-pop artist told the audience that this was her first show after nearly three years of not performing due to the pandemic. She mentioned that the last time she performed in Seattle was when she was opening for artist Gus Dapperton, to which the crowd cheered. I can easily say that Spill Tab gave the best opening performance I’ve seen thus far, in comparison to the other concert openers I’ve seen. Spill Tab’s carefree and authentic passion could be felt radiating into the crowd, making it a challenge not to love her.
Wallows Warm Welcome in Seattle
Wallows received an enthusiastic welcome back to the stage after nearly two years of not performing. I can confidently speak on behalf of Seattle fans and say that we were honored to be the first stop on their latest tour, Tell Me That It’s Over Tour. The group walked on stage to piercing screams from the crowd, in awe of seeing the band in the same building as all of us. The band of six was exceptionally well-dressed. Lead singer, Dylan Minnette, wore a pair of fresh white Dickies topped with a loose fitted striped shirt. The only addition to make his outfit anymore of the Seattle aesthetic would have been a beanie. That being said, he and his bandmates were very fashionable!
The concert background was a thick perimeter of a rectangle that varied in ambient colors. During one song the theater would bleed of an ombre yellow, and the song would have the crowd painted shades in of magenta. I enjoy seeing how creative singers design the background and stage for their concerts. It’s just another insight into the artist’s mind and creative process… which I absolutely love receiving snippets of.
Wallows did an incredible job showcasing their tour as well as creating their brilliant setlist. As this was their first tour stop, I had no idea what to expect for their setlist, I was eager to find out. The band played a perfect mix of new songs while staying true to their roots and playing a handful of their older fan favorites. The crowd chanted the lyrics of “I Don’t Want to Talk”, and my personal favorite from their new album, “At the End of the Day”. Dylan Minnette gave an emotional seated performance of, “Guitar Romantic Search Adventure”, while practically shredding his guitar in hand. A fan in the first row on the floor gave Dylan a bouquet of flowers divinely wrapped in parchment paper, which by the looks of it, appeared to be hand-bundled by a vendor at Pikes Place Market. Dylan smiled and placed the beautiful arrangement of flowers by the keyboard.
The band also performed a handful of songs from their 2021 album, Remote. The crowd got up and jumped to “OK”, and “Quarterback”, mimicking the band’s passion. I don’t think the crowd would have let the band leave Seattle without a performance of “1980’s Horror Film II”. Hearing lead singer, Braeden Lemasters, sing this Wallows classic was surreal and took me right back to sophomore year of high school when I listened to the song at least once a day for months on end.
The crowd screamed in surprise when hearing the band sing “These Days”, and what was my favorite performed song of the concert, “Pictures of Girls”. The group performed for nearly an hour and a half before saying their farewells. Wallows left their Seattle fans with enough energy and adrenaline to last the whole Friday night. The high-energy and rambunctious performance matched Wallows fans’ expectations for the concert, leaving the audience feeling sweaty and satisfied.
Amanda Taylor | My First But Certainly Not Last Wallows Concert | KXSU Music & Arts Reporter