Live Recap: Wolf Alice at The Vic
This past Monday night, Wolf Alice packed the Vic Theatre for a sold out gig in honor of the group’s third album Blue Weekend, which came out in June 2021. Though it’d been more than three years since the British quartet took the stage in Chicago, the rambunctious and eager fans greeted bandmates Ellie Rowsell, Joff Oddie, Joel Amey, and Theo Ellis with warm cheers. The reunion between Wolf Alice and all of their devoted fans felt like the kinship between old pals who can go years without seeing each other, yet they don’t miss a beat once they’re finally back together.
Going back to the earlier days of Wolf Alice, they’ve always exhibited an expansive and exploratory sound—particularly with vocalist and lyricist Ellie Rowsell’s dynamic range. For example, the hushed and melancholy tones of the title track on Wolf Alice’s 2013 "Blush” EP starkly contrast to the rowdy riffs and wailing vocals used in songs like “Fluffy” from their 2015 debut record My Love Is Cool. In their newest material, the band has honed in on that skillset and built upon their existing sound with nuanced maturity that elevated their already excellent live presence to another level.
The setlist on Monday night called back to the aforementioned debut album—including the wildly popular “Moaning Lisa Smile”— as well as 2017’s Visions Of A Life between the new songs. The perfectly crafted selection of songs allowed for fans to experience gentle and refined moments that juxtaposed moments of furious spontaneity. Wolf Alice has stated that Blue Weekend as a project is largely the product of Rowsell’s realization of the role of music in our lives, of the importance of the songs she writes. Seeing the crowd’s reaction at Wolf Alice’s live show demonstrated that importance of their music and Rowsell’s lyrics in a tangible and raw way.
If you missed out on the spectacle of Wolf Alice’s Chicago show, relive some of the magic with the photo gallery below, including the support artist Bria.
See where you can catch Wolf Alice perform next here, and pick up a copy of Blue Weekend here.
