On May 24, 2024, the indie band, Wallows, released their third studio album, titled Model. Since debuting in 2017 with their single, Pleaser, Wallows have been producing new music almost annually. Nothing Happens was their first album, released in 2019. It has a general theme of exiting adolescence and losing innocence, and the emotions that come with those changes. In 2022, their second album, Tell Me That It’s Over, was released. Almost as a continuation of Nothing Happens, Tell Me That It’s Over discusses navigating the new challenges of adulthood. 

Wallows teased the release of Model by putting out multiple singles from the album in the months before May, starting with the album opener, Your Apartment. While Tell Me That It’s Over is generally focused on being a new adult, Model hones in on relationships and losing someone important to you. This album provides songs many listeners can relate to, but also reflects what was happening in the band members’ lives during production. Like all Wallows albums, the songs on Model provide a variety of different moods; there are songs that make you want to get up and dance, and songs that make you think about life, all while maintaining the indie pop genre. 

The following is my ranking of Model tracks from my favorite to least favorite:

1. Don’t You Think It’s Strange

   

2. Anytime, Always
3. Only Ecstasy 
4. Bad Dream
5. You (Show Me Where My Days Went)
6. Going Under
7. A Warning
8. She’s an Actress
9. Your Apartment
10. I Wouldn’t Mind
11. Calling After Me
12. Canada

I was fortunate enough to have seen Wallows live two times before the release of Model. Both experiences were unique in their own way, but both will be nights I cherish forever. For this tour, I attended two shows on the North America leg一one in Sterling Heights and one in Philadelphia. When purchasing tickets for the Model tour, attendees had an option of getting Gold VIP tickets, Silver VIP tickets, or general admission tickets. Gold and silver VIP both came with their own special amenities, including a complimentary tote bag, playing cards, socks, a signed poster, a food voucher, and a lanyard that granted access to the pit earlier than general admission.

My first of the two shows was on August 24 in Philadelphia, at the Mann Center. I arrived with four hours to spare. Having a Gold VIP ticket, I got my wristband for pit access, visited the merchandise tent, collected my VIP items, and took advantage of the VIP photo opportunity. Even though the show was not until 7:15, fans bustled with excitement in self-formed lines at four. Many concert-goers sported outfits featured in popular Wallows music videos. Many fans came prepared with creative posters in hopes of the band members noticing them. At six o’clock, the lines filed into the venue, starting with Gold VIP. Upon entering the venue, it was a race of who could get to the barricade the fastest. I claimed a spot on the barricade and began waiting. Within the hour, the entire venue was packed. 

At 7:15, the opener of the tour, Benee, came out to perform. With highly positive energy, Benee and her band got the audience hyped for the upcoming show. She played a variety of songs from her discography, including a couple of non-released songs. She ended her 45-minute set with her TikTok famous hit, Supalonely.  At this point, the audience was singing and dancing along with excitement.  

It finally came time for Wallows to begin the show. Like every concert on this tour, it began with a large white curtain that covered the stage. The lights went out, and the song Do Not Wait began as silhouettes of the band members behind the curtain displayed across it. As the slow and sentimental song ended, the massive curtain dropped to reveal Wallows, and the album opener, Your Apartment, began. Cheers roared through the audience as the upbeat song blasted out of the speakers and the band sang and danced around the stage, greeting fans in the pit. Many songs went by, and the atmosphere was just as energetic as it was in the beginning. During the song She’s An Actress, lead singer Dylan Minette climbed over the barricade and into the pit surrounded by fans. With a security guard by his side at all times, Minette wormed his way through the crowd, in arms reach of all the fans around him. 

From then on, Wallows played a combination of songs from Model and other various songs from their discography. About halfway through the concert, the band members filed off stage and made their way through the venue to a smaller stage that was right in the middle of the organized seating. Everyone in the pit turned around to see this new view, and everyone in seats got the opportunity to see Wallows up close. Even if you could not afford a VIP or pit ticket, Wallows made the concert a fair experience for everyone. On this second stage, the band played a few hits, all acoustically. As lead singer Minette and drummer Cole Preston made their way back to the main stage, lead guitarist Braeden Lemasters ventured even further away into the lawn to sing closer to those who didn’t have seats or pit access.

Back on the main stage, it was almost time for the concert to come to a close. Minette introduced his fellow band members and thanked us all for coming. Wallows played a handful of hits, before wrapping up the show with the last song on Model, Only Ecstasy. The crowd roared with screams and cheers as the band walked off stage, waving and signaling to fans. The stage was emptied, but everyone knew Wallows would be back for an encore. The crowd buzzed with anticipation and began chanting for Wallows to come back out. One by one, the members walked back onto the stage, and assumed their positions to play their most famous song. The familiar opening notes of Are You Bored Yet? played, and the entire audience sang the lyrics in unison. After the song, the concert had officially ended.

Every Wallows concert is an unforgettable experience. Being at a Wallows concert, you feel appreciated as a fan and the energy is always positive. Any artist can perform their songs, but to do it in a way that the fans feel connected with them is a separate talent.