More Wallows

Words and photos by Courtney Thomassen

When the curtains closed on Wallows’ North American tour last September, fans were left wanting only one thing — more. Little did they know, that’s exactly what they’d get just one month later. On Oct. 18, in the middle of their international run, Wallows posted to their social media a list of spring concerts spanning the U.S. This leg would not only be a continuation of their 2024 Model tour, featuring the band’s most recent album of the same name, it would also promote brand new music from an upcoming EP titled “More.” For the first time since 2022, Florida fans had solid dates to look forward to, a short three-show run that kicked off last month in St. Augustine.

At 6 p.m., the gates of St. Augustine Amphitheatre opened to an eager crowd. For the next hour and a half fans shuffled in, stopping by merch tents and food vendors on their way to their seats where they settled in for an opening set by singer-songwriter Deb Never. The L.A.-based artist’s dreamy sound and alt-indie style were a perfect fit for the Wallows crowd, who swayed and danced along as they were treated to both unreleased music and older favorites, including “Say” and “Momentary Sweetheart” from the 2023 album “Thank You For Attending.” Across the amphitheater fans held up their cell phone lights as Never’s set came to a close, and cheers and applause were quickly replaced with screams of excitement when a Wallows banner unfurled, shielding the stage for the set changeover. 

The house lights soon dimmed one last time and the banner dropped to the floor, only to reveal another white curtain behind it. As hundreds of phone cameras began recording and the opening chords of “Do Not Wait” echoed across the venue, silhouettes of the band were projected onto the fabric. The strobing of the backlights intensified, finally coming to a head when the intro was cut off by “Model” lead single “Your Apartment” as the remaining curtain fell away to reveal the stage. The years of waiting so many fans had endured was over at last: It was showtime. Back-to-back fan favorites “Scrawny” and “OK” had the crowd screaming and jumping along, reaching a high early on before the set moved into a calmer direction, albeit temporarily. “Quarterback” and “Bad Dream” provided short breaks for the band and audience as singer Dylan Minnette and drummer Cole Preston swapped places, allowing Braeden Lemasters a few minutes to chat with the crowd, mostly about the band’s stop at Florida’s go-to tourist destination, the St. Augustine Alligator Farm. 

Fan interaction is a staple at Wallows shows, as the band often takes time to read signs in the crowd or tell stories about personal ties to each city. This was taken a step further when one fan, Nicolas of the Jacksonville-based rock band Doubleside, was invited on stage to play guitar during “Treacherous Doctor.” The crowd cheered in support of the young musician as he finished the song, hugging Braeden and leaving with a memory that is sure to last a lifetime. Following standout track “These Days” from the band’s debut EP “Spring,” which featured an extended instrumental break with bass so strong it reverberated through the ground, the set’s midpoint was marked with two brand new songs off of “More,” Wallows’ new EP scheduled for release at the end of March. “Your New Favorite Song” and “Coffin Change” had been previously released as singles, the latter coming out only two days earlier. Based on the reaction from the crowd, it would have been easy to mistake these as two longtime fan favorites. 

From the pit to the upper levels, fans were jumping and singing along to every word, and the energy only continued to grow throughout the remainder of the show. Even during the last of the relaxed tracks “Uncomfortable” and “She’s An Actress,” the audience was kept engaged as Minnette jumped off the stage, making his way up and down the aisles of the amphitheater. The singer stayed in the crowd through the end of the “Model” track and, when it was time to make his way back to stage, Lemasters took the opportunity to speed run a few audience requests. The crowd was thrilled to hear snippets of “Sun Tan” and “Hurts Me,” which have been mostly absent from recent setlists, but what followed would only bring more excitement: a grand finale of hits pulled from Wallows’ full discography closed the set and showcased the fans’ deep appreciation for the band’s music, both old and new. It wouldn’t be fair to say the energy of the night peaked when “Pleaser,” the group’s debut single, played, not because the excitement level wasn’t there, but because it stayed just as high for the rest of the evening. From “Calling After Me” (off “Model”) to “Remember When” (from “Nothing Happens”) and “Tell Me That It’s Over” (on “I Don’t Want To Talk”) fans shrieked and screamed along to every word, leaving everything they had on the floor. Before the last band member left the stage the audience was chanting for an encore. Under a clear, cold February sky, St. Augustine reveled in the final song, the closing track of “Model,” “Only Ecstasy,” and left more ready than ever for what comes next.