The Waterparks Tour You Didn’t Know About

^{Article by Madison Luongo}

Since pop rock band Waterparks’ formation in 2011, they have always made a strong effort to stay immersed and involved in their fan’s lives beyond the average music artist. The band– consisting of singer Awsten Knight, guitarist Geoff Wigington, and drummer Otto Wood, –continuously makes being a fan of their group an immersive and unforgettable experience, and this could not be more true with their most recent concert run. As a way to promote the Prowler Tour starting this November, Waterparks decided to host three intimate shows across the United States, playing in the smallest venues they have performed in since 2017. Fans were only able to attend these shows by buying a ticket to their main tour which gave them a unique code to purchase a ticket for one of these events, making it exclusive for only the biggest fans. Chicago was designated to host one of these shows at Space, a 250-person intimate venue in Evanston. 

The anticipation of the crowd was undeniable upon entering the small room, donned with a simple black barricade-less stage and a few simple stage lights. As the pre-show setlist continued on, the anticipation builded up into a suspense that brought tension into the room, with 250 fans waiting with held breath for Waterparks to don the stage. Finally, the tension broke with a shrill scream of excitement as Knight, Wigington, and Wood entered the stage, immediately breaking out into “RED GUITAR,” one of their most recently released singles. As the band’s set continued, it was clear that this immersive concert experience went to Waterparks’ most dedicated fans– not a lyric went unsung, not even of their newest release “IF LYRICS WERE CONFIDENTIAL,” a wordy song released only a week before the show. Each song was performed by the band and sung by the crowd with a passion and appreciation for the other party, united by a love for this music. 

Waterparks, particularly Knight, rewarded these hardcore fans with an intimate concert experience, stopping every few songs to talk to specific members of the crowd, pass out guitar picks, or to read signs with questions for them. Due to a fan’s request, Knight even blessed Chicago with an exclusive performance of “Group Chat,” a ten-second long track consisting of the three band members speaking. The band did give each of the three shows a unique performance of a full-length song; Chicago was given a performance of the Double-Dare track “Dizzy,” which has not been played since 2019– Knight asked the audience to confirm this, saying “[the fans] know better than I do.”

The energy of the crowd stayed consistent throughout the beginning of the 20-song setlist to the final song, the energetic and intense “REAL SUPER DARK” track from the band’s most recent album “INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY” Knight thanked the crowd for their dedication and love for the band and the three members left, giving out setlist to the most dedicated fans at barricade on their way out. The excitement and energy of the crowd could still be felt after Waterpark’s departure, lingering in the walls of Space as the attendees departed.