Wild Nothing Takes a Look Back

When I first arrived at Metro, it was clear that the fans of Wild Nothing were ready for a night full of nostalgia. From a late 2009 college dorm room in Blacksburg, Virginia, Wild Nothing has currently become a critically acclaimed American indie rock/dream pop band that has debuted on numerous top charts, receiving awards such as “Best New Music” from Pitchfork and slots on the year-end lists of Under the Radar. Wild Nothing’s lead singer and songwriter, Jack Tatum, released their second album, Nocturne, on August 28, 2012. With a total of 11 songs, Nocturne is filled with a quick 44 minute and 11 second set of dream and jangle pop sentimentality. Back on a five state tour, including Chicago, Wild Nothing has taken their 10-year anniversary to perform a full album playlist of Nocturne to commemorate. Amongst Tatum’s earnest interaction with the crowd by thanking them after each song, he named Chicago as one of their favorite places to play in the “whole wide world.” 

The set begins with their song “Shadow” and the rest of the album is continuously transitioning through a dreamy sequence of melodies and gorgeously layered new-wave sounds. The band of four members, Jeff Haley (bass guitar), Nic Hessler (guitar), Cameron Allen (drums) and Joshua Sushman (keyboard/saxophone), were an obvious close-knit group, holding groove sessions on stage with each other and reminiscing about old times. After the 11 songs of Nocturne were finished within 45 minutes, Tatum proceeds with the expected “full nostalgia” by playing songs from EPs, which began as early as 2010. Looking around the full crowd, I saw smiles spread across everyone’s face, singing along word-for-word and dancing along as they did ten years ago. 

For the 10-year anniversary of their acclaimed album Nocturne, it’s transparent that fans still love and deeply care for this album. Vice versa, Wild Nothing decided to add Chicago to the exclusive five state tour, which began in Austin, TX to LA and San Francisco, and lastly to New York. The embodiment of the perfect 80’s throwback is brimming with nostalgia and still holds its impact in the music scene today. We’re excited to see new music from Wild Nothing in the future and always appreciate a moment for fans to look back in time.