Wolf Alice’s Breathtaking Performance Shakes D.C

by Paulina Lopez ’19

Indie-rock band Wolf Alice return to DC with a stunning, vivid and gallant performance that showcased their astounding new album, “Visions of a Life.”

North-London quartet Wolf Alice, comprised of Ellie Rowsell (vocals, guitar), Joff Oddie (guitars, vocals), Theo Ellis (bass), and Joel Amey (drums, vocals), has received a lot of notoriety since their debut album release of “My Love is Cool” in 2015; the album’s sound has been described as invigorating indie-rock with foundations of 90s/00s shoegaze and grunge, and has won the band accolades such as iTunes Best New Band/Artist of 2015 and New Music Express’ Best Live Band. Earlier this year, they released their electric second album “Visions of a Life.”

The crowd was overcome with elation, when the indie-rock heroes sauntered on stage at the 9:30 Club, as many devoted fans have been waiting since the summer to be blessed with the chance of hearing Wolf Alice’s sophomore album come to life. The atmosphere was automatically permeated with a comforting, nostalgic warmth, that the next few hours would provide the perfect mystical madness fans have desired since the release of “Visions of A Life” on September 29.

The stage aesthetic of blaring purples, blues, greens, and reds, accompanied with glimmering white lights illuminated the forest backdrop and complemented the artwork of the album. With the setlist lasting nearly two hours, it was amazing to witness all four members exude endless energy throughout the entirety of the show.

The kaleidoscopic distortion and spiritual elements within “Visions of A Life” were impeccably executed as the cohesive musical efforts of Theo, Joff and Joel, laid the foundation for Ellie to display her immaculate vocals within delicate harmonies and heavy, explosive riffs, as showcased in ‘Sadboy’ and ‘St Purple and Green.’

Ending the show with ‘Giant Peach’ was an incredibly emotive experience for youthful and older fans alike to lose themselves in a moment of carelessness, as they forget about the everyday frustrations that come with life. When Ellie clambered towards the barrier, screaming and clutching at her fans, the whole world seemed to revolve around that single moment. As if synchronized, the whole crowd absorbed and reciprocated all of Ellie’s high-pitched shrieks, and every sound and movement was performed with such extreme sentiment, courage, and perfection you wished the concert wasn’t coming to its end.