By: Catalina DeSua

Turning Madison inside-out on their INSIDE: OUTSIDE tour, The Wrecks made their absolutely electric return to the Majestic Theatre for a sold-out show on Saturday, May 3rd. The Los Angeles-based alternative rock band once again captivated their fans of Madison, myself included. I first saw The Wrecks at Summerfest in 2022, and immediately afterwards wondered why I hadn’t listened to their music more. I was absolutely ecstatic to see them again now that I am familiar with their discography. The festival show was a lot of fun, but The Wrecks and their undeniably magnetic energy are highlighted so much more at a smaller, more intimate indoor venue like the Majestic. 

Kicking off the night, they welcomed the openers Benjamin Carter and Quarters of Change, who both gave exciting performances, combining emotional vocals with amazing beats. Benjamin Carter even performed an unreleased song he had written with The Wrecks lead singer Nick Anderson.

After much anticipation, The Wrecks took the stage and delighted the audience with “Sonder”, the title track off their 2022 album. Keeping the energy at an all-time high, they went right into “Out of Style”, an incredibly catchy song with a guitar-heavy chorus that practically begs for a lively audience atmosphere. Next the entire audience jumped in tandem, pulsing to the beat of “Always, Everytime”, a track off of the band’s new EP, “INSIDE:”, released on April 11th. The six songs featured on the EP make up the first half of their upcoming album that fans are sure to expect. After experiencing their electrifying performance, I can’t wait to see what the rest of the album has to offer.

After the energetic start to the show, The Wrecks slowed it down with the hits “Where are you now?” and “Normal”, both off their 2022 album “Sonder”. I remember how captivating “Normal” was when I heard it for the first time at Summerfest, and I was not disappointed hearing it again years later. The band always performs a slower, acoustic version of the song, and I think it really draws in the crowd for a raw, emotional experience that can only be had at a live show. I was a little disappointed to find that they normally play “I Hope It’s Cold in New York”, but last-minute switched it out for “Revolution” per a fan’s request. Despite this, I think “Normal” is a perfect conclusion for a slow interlude in the set. They rounded out the regular set with a few tracks off the new EP, and eventually closed with a rousing performance of “Infinitely Ordinary.”

The sense of community in the crowd was extremely strong and it shone through in so many moments. The band’s bassist, Aaron Kelley, is from Wisconsin, and a group of girls helped his mom to the front of the crowd, prompting Anderson to express gratitude to Kelley’s parents for the dinner and tour bus parking. In the middle of the show, they brought up a fan to sing “Happy Birthday” to the band’s drummer, William “Billy” Nally. They started the encore with fan favorite “Freaking Out”, and the excitement was met with crowd-surfing, moshing, and an absolutely palpable energy in the air. They closed off the encore with their most popular song and one of their first releases as a band, “Favorite Liar.” This is a song that absolutely emanates that sense of teenage angst and fun, perfect for a summer drive with the windows down. It’s also a perfect chorus to scream-sing at a Saturday night show at the Majestic. During the bridge, lead singer Nick Anderson parted the crowd so he could walk through and dance with the fans before returning to the stage and bidding farewell with the band.

Leaving the concert, I was exhausted, but in the best possible way. After an exhilarating, immersive experience, I’m so excited for what the second half of their new album has to offer.