WILD NOTHING: Live at The Regent

Wild Nothing has been one of my favorite rock bands for a while. I like how frontman Jack Tatum plays with the codes of dream pop and alt-rock to create a spacious, completely modern universe. His last album, Indigo, displayed gorgeous songs balanced atop synthetic arrangements. I was curious to see how this sonic jungle would translate on stage. I had a chance to hear for myself since Wild Nothing was playing The Regent while I was in L.A.

The band gave a really solid performance. Assembling some of the project’s best cuts in a relentless setlist, the public didn’t have a single moment of respite. Every track seemed played a little faster than on the records, with more organic rock arrangements, somewhere between The War on Drugs and Ariel Pink. It was a nice opportunity to rediscover their more synth-y pieces in a different musical context.

There’s no doubt that the band will continue to electrify festival stages and large rock venues for the years to come.