Wallows with Benee whisk San Francisco alt lovers away

With a lineup of stellar songs from their previous albums and EPs, and a line wrapping around the venue block, it’s safe to say that the excitement was visible across fans anxiously awaiting to see Wallows out in San Francisco.

The Los Angeles-based band — featuring members Dylan Minnette (known for his role on Netflix’s controversial Thirteen Reasons Why), Braeden Lemasters, and Cole Preston — is currently touring across North American, European, Australian, and New Zealand amphitheaters in support of their latest album, Model.

New Zealand singer Benee opened the night, elevating the energy in the room with each song.

A set filled with catchy tunes, such as “Soaked”, “Beach Boy”, and “Kool”, Benee showcased her youthful energy as she interacted with fans. Her hard-hitting beats got the crowd out of their seats and moving, closing out her 40-minute set with the mega-viral 2020 hit “Supalonely”, which helped set the scene for Wallows to hit the stage. 

To kick off their set, Wallows built up to the chorus of “Do Not Wait” from their debut album, Nothing Happens, behind a curtain. Though a more somber song, all it took to get the crowd going crazy were the shadows of Minnette, Lemasters, and Preston flashing through. The curtain dropped and the trio followed the intro up with a much more upbeat performance of “Your Apartment” — the first leading single off of Model. Minnette, Lemasters, and Preston have been making music together since 2011 and the continued chemistry between them is evident. Throughout the set, band members switched instruments and helped contribute in different places across their discography, allowing for each of them to shine. The 23-song setlist covered ground across their entire career, featuring old and new fan-favorites. 

The band topped off the first section of their set with an unforgettable performance of “She’s an Actress”.

Minnette walked offstage through the crowd, serenading the entire arena as he made his way to the B-stage. Emulating Preston’s bedroom, the trio formed a small circle onstage as they prepped to perform acoustic versions of “Pictures of Girls”, “Drunk on Halloween”, and “Only Friend”. It was a change of pace from their usual high-energy onstage presence. Following the B-stage performance, Minnette and Preston made their way back to the main stage with Lemasters taking his turn to go out to fans out in the upper balcony section, serenading them with his version of “Going Under”. 

Wallows capped off the night with heavy-hitters “Pleaser”, “Calling After Me”, “Remember When”, and “I Don’t Want to Talk”, leaving fans with truly everything they wanted. They rushed back onstage to cheers, performing their triple-platinum hit “Are You Bored Yet?” as their encore, with a crowd nearly drowning out the band. Wallows has developed an extremely devoted fanbase over the years and it’s clear why.

Photography by Sabrina Poei

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