Wolf Alice Cement Ascension to Superstardom with Washington DC Performance at the 9:30

Wolf Alice – 9:30 – Washington DC – 12/8/17

Wolf Alice’s trajectory has been pointed in an upward direction ever since the band started to become one of the most buzzed about bands in the UK prior to the release of their debut album “My Love is Cool” back in 2015”

A Grammy nomination for Best Rock Performance in 2016, a myriad of UK music accolades as well as several festival darling sets at the likes of Glastonbury, Reeding and Leeds all have helped propel Wolf Alice to a level of stardom many bands working in the music indusrty for over a decade could only hope to achieve.

The band’s sophomore follow-up “Visions of Life,” was released this past October with both critics and fans embracing the record whole heartedly.

Eclectic, layered and embedded with aberrant sonic textures and experimentation, “Visions of Life” is a record that harkens back to the days of 70’s vinyl when listeners were rewarded for strapping on a par of headphones and exploring a record from first track to last.

Ellie Roswell – Wolf Alice – 9:30 Club – Washington DC – 12/8/17

Ellie Roswell (guitars/vocals), Joff Oddie (lead guitars / synths), Theo Ellis (bass) and Joel Amey (drums) brought their growing song book to Washington DC’s famed 9:30 this past week with the north London quartet’s performance at proving to be evocative, playful, and down right explosive at times.

Outside of a disco ball and a forest themed tapestry hung behind Amey’s drum kit, Wolf Alice eschewed any flamboyant stage bells and whistles, choosing instead to let their music do all the talking.

Roswell, adorned in a white floral print dress paired with black Doc Martins, transfixed the 9:30 audience throughout the entirety of the evening.

The front woman effortlessly alternated between whimsical whispers and piercing screams, while also wielding her Fender Mustang with the type of bravado and deft skill the likes of Nancy Wilson and Kelly Deal would be proud of.

Joff Oddie – Wolf Alice – 9:30 Club – Washington DC – 12/8/17

Although an inordinate amount of attention has been thrust upon Roswell as Wolf Alice’s star has continued to rise, the contributions of Oddie, Ellis and Amey have been equally important to the band’s success.

Oddie created a one man wall of sound with the unyielding distortion and fuzz that’s quickly become the guitarist’s trademark.

As a performer Oddie was also beyond captivating as his endless contortions and at times frisky interactions with the audience, only further endeared himself and the band to the 9:30 crowd.

At one point the guitarist even used his Fender Jaguar as a baseball bat as he launched a water bottle from stage end to the deepest part of the 9:30’s floor.

Theo Ellis – Wolf Alice – 9:30 – Washington DC – 12/8/17

Ellis, dressed to the nines in the type of three-piece pin stripped suit most English gangsters would be proud to own, was a whirling dervish of energy and bluster.

The bassist would also be the first member of the band to address those in attendance, commenting early in the set, “You have no idea how much it means to us to come to this venue, it really is a dream come true.”

Later in the evening Ellie herself would also go on to thank the 9:30 audience, in particular the women in attendance. The singer made mention of a venue in the UK that recently banned female fronted bands and how proud she was of all of the girls rocking out in the front row at the show.

Joel Amey – Wolf Alice – 9:30 – Washington DC – 12/8/17

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Not to be forgotten, drummer Amey seemingly channeled the spirit of drum icons such as Keith Moon and Ginger Baker as he vigorously pounded on his ever growing kit throughout the band’s hour and half long set.

Wolf Alice’s performance at the 9:30 ultimately proved to be as divergent as their recorded music. Tracks such as “Yuk Foo” and “Moaning Lisa Smile” afforded the audience ample opportunities to crash and bang into one another. Conversely songs like St. Purple & Green and Planet Hunter provided introspective moments that allowed the 9:30 crowd to get deeply lost in.

However, even when belting out their more heart pumping tunes Wolf Alice still leaned towards building atmosphere and tension versus going straight for the jugular. This condition’s existence served the band well as each song, intentional or not, left the audience wanting and begging for more.

Wolf Alice – 9:30 – Washington DC – 12/8/17

Although Wolf Alice have already begun to reach elevated heights of fame and success over in the UK, here in the U.S. the band is only now beginning to spread their wings.

Performances such as the one the band threw down in Washington DC this past week serve as evidentiary proof as to why Wolf Alice is so beloved across the pond, as well as why the foursome are destined to become bonafide rock royalty at some point over here in America.

Thus it probably wouldn’t be the worst idea to take in as many of these intimate Wolf Alice U.S. club shows while you still can. The next time the band comes back to the States they very well may be playing to audiences in the tens of thousands and the tickets themselves, much harder to come by.

Consider yourselves warned.