Mosh Pits on a Monday; Wednesday Takes on the Riviera
Article by Melody Kpahn
On Monday night, the Rivieria Theatre’s ornate showroom was submerged in fog. Bright purple lights bounced off the golden fixtures adorning the walls. The stage was a sight to behold; accompanying the six electric guitars propped in the center was a variety of dolls. Some were ominous and vintage-looking, while others were imitations of popular children’s characters, like Pete the Cat. A backdrop with the Maurice Sendak-esque creature featured on the cover of Wednesday’s new album, Bleeds (created by artist Kamila Mlynarczyk), hung from the ceiling.
The opening band, Daffo, comprised of vocalist and guitarist Gabi Gamberg, guitarist Wyatt Kirschner, bassist Matt Schuessler, and drummer Nick Wilkerson delivered an electrifying set that established the tone for the rest of the night. Switching guitars after each song, Gamberg sang a mix of tracks from their debut EP Pest and recently released album Where the Earth Bends. The highlight was an explosive rendition of “Poor Madeline”, the song that launched Gamberg into TikTok virality and indie-rock success.
Wednesday’s lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist, Karly Hartzman, arrived on stage to a screaming crowd, drinking straight from a bottle of Malört. Flanked by her touring band consisting of guitarist Jake Pugh, bassist Ethan Baechtold, drummer Alan Miller, and pedal steel player Xandy Chelmis, they began their set with a raucous rendition of “Reality TV Argument Bleeds”. The genre-bending ensemble hailing from Asheville, North Carolina, had a fun time interacting with the crowd during the show. Hartzman, sporting two black pigtails and even darker lipstick, encouraged fans to move to the center of the floor to start a mosh pit. “I love a big pit,” she joked. After the invitation, the crowd became a ball of energy- jumping, swaying, moshing, and screaming along to a mix of new releases and songs from their previous albums, I Was Trying to Describe You to Someone, Twin Plagues, and the critically acclaimed Rat Saw God. Gamberg made an appearance to perform backing vocals on the twangy new release “Phish Pepsi” with Wednesday. Towards the end of “Pick Up That Knife”, a fan made it atop the crowd, with Hartzman commending the bravery of crowdsurfing in a dress.
Before performing “Bull Believer”, the penultimate song of the show, Hartzman delivered a moving speech about the ICE raids currently affecting communities in Chicago and Charlotte, North Carolina. “If you’re angry, which you probably are if you’re at this show. If you're not, you’re at the wrong f****** show,” she said, “I invite you to yell with me during this song”. As the sweaty, chaotic set concluded, Hartzman and other members threw various items into the sea of fans: a t-shirt, a crumpled-up set list, and several of the dolls that had adorned the stage. The crowd was buzzing as they shuffled out of the showroom, the floor littered with crushed beer cans and empty cups. Wednesday’s head-thrashing, pick-scraping set is sure to stay in everyone’s mind for a while to come.