D.C. was lucky enough to have Wild Nothing and JW Francis perform on Nov. 9 at The 9:30 Club. The concert lasted from 8 to 10:30 p.m., doors opening on the early side at 7 p.m., with good vibes flowing the whole time.
Just as anticipated were Wild Nothing’s energetic songs and relatable lyrics. The live show captured aspects of his talent that aren’t truly captured in studio recordings. Jack Tatum blew the audience away with his amazing vocals and guitar skills. He played “Headlights On” along with other songs from his newest album, “Hold.” The song had a rocky start, them all playing the intro and as Tatum starts singing, he starts at the bridge instead of the beginning lyrics. He stopped and looked at his bandmates before going up to the mic again, saying “Jesus Christ, let’s start that over again. I don’t know what you’re applauding, you’re applauding ill-prepared performers” before beginning again—going through the whole song, sounding immaculate. The crowd could be seen dancing and singing along together to his performance. He ended the show with “Shadow” off “Nocturne” as an encore.
The opening act, JW Francis, got the crowd hyped up for Wild Nothing and bantered with the crowd, making us wonder, is he a part-time comedian too? Him repeatedly pressing buttons on his soundboard with clips of his own voice saying things like, “Who’s excited for [WILD NOTHING]” and singing the name “Phil” instead of the original name in a song for an audience member who shouted out his name made the crowd collectively giggle during his performance. His wholesome indie sound along with his cheery attitude was the perfect start to the night.
Jack Tatum took the stage at 9:15 p.m. with an additional bassist, guitarist, drummer, and keyboard player. Everyone was there for one reason: their love and appreciation for ethereal but upbeat tunes. Tatum with his bandmates walked onstage, as he talked about how he had not performed live in a year and this was his first time touring with this specific group, and was excited to kick off his fairly small tour in the nation’s capital – not too far from his hometown of Richmond, Virginia.
Tatum started releasing music under the name Wild Nothing in 2010, and the crowd reflected a group of 30-somethings who likely started listening to him in high school or college, with college students and teenagers and their parents sprinkled in. Regardless of who showed up, a sense of kinship was present between all those who attended. That’s something cool about going to smaller concerts—they have a chiller, more laid-back vibe, with a more respectful crowd, generally making it a more fun experience, not being shoved between people being pushed around all night.
His set was 16 songs including “Suburban Solutions,” “Letting Go” and “Paradise,” which showcased a good mix of bops from different projects of his such as “Indigo” and “Nocturne” along with his recent album.
The “Hold” tour wraps up in less than a week, mostly having performed in major US cities such as D.C., Los Angeles and Philadelphia, with the exception of Norfolk, Virginia, near Tatum’s hometown. Whether he was belting or strumming his guitar, switching between electric and acoustic throughout the night, Jack Tatum represented the status of the modern dream pop genre—and it’s flourishing. The performance was as stunning as expected.
