As the sun set on Sept. 10, fans gathered on a warm Tuesday evening at Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre to enjoy some outstanding live music performed by Wallows and BENEE.
As people filed in, decked out in funky jewelry, waist chains, denim garments and a blend of alternative and unique outfits, the crowd began to buzz with energy. This excitement was fueled by chatting with fellow fans, taking pictures with friends and purchasing new merchandise belonging to the band.
Once the clock struck 7:30 p.m. and the lights dimmed to a deep blue, the majority of the audience took their seats to welcome the opening singer.
The large screen behind the stage lit up bright pink, featuring the name “BENEE” in big block letters, and within the letters were funky images and designs. Immediately after the image appeared on the screen, BENEE enthusiastically ran out on stage to the beat of her opening song “Kool”.
BENEE bounced around the stage in a red and yellow football jersey paired with a short camouflage skirt with a long white bow attached. Completing her quirky and unique style, she wore mid-calf fluffy white boots with black buckles around the center.
After singing her hit song “Soaked,” the Australian-born singer greeted the crowd with an animated, “What’s up everybody! How are you guys doing tonight?”
Her casual yet exciting engagement with the crowd drew a few additional groups of concert-goers to their seats. As she sang a few more of her funky-alternative-pop songs, she conversed with the crowd some more before singing her new single “Sad Boiii,” which was released on Sept. 4.
While singing her popular track “Glitter,” her stage presence soared as she danced around, having the time of her life to her own songs.
Concluding her set around 8:10 p.m., she saved her most well-known song for last. As BENEE performed her hit record from 2020 “Supalonely,” the audience was full of energy with attendees singing along, taking videos and dancing their hearts out.
As her infectious stage presence wrapped up with the end of her set, she hyped up the audience for the upcoming headliners by exclaiming, “Who’s excited for the Wallows?”
That question alone brought a massive roar from the venue. The break in between BENEE and the Wallows only enthused the crowd more as they took pictures and chatted anxiously. The energy in the air was pure adrenaline.
At 8:42 p.m, a massive white sheet dropped in front of the stage, projecting a silhouette of the Wallows lead singer Dylan Minnette, earning a huge wave of applause and cheers from the audience. Once the cheers died down, he captivated the crowd by starting the concert with the Wallows’ melodic and beautiful slow song “Do Not Wait.”
From the moment the Wallows took the stage to the moment they left, the crowd remained on their feet, buzzing with excitement and support.
Earning the loudest cheers of the night, band members Dylan Minnette, Braeden Lemasters and Cole Preston welcomed the crowd with waves and greetings: “San Diego, how are you feeling?! I’m feeling really good, I hope you are too. I’m excited to be here!”
After greeting the crowd, the band members took their spots on the stage: Lemasters on stage right with a microphone and his bass guitar, Preston behind the center of the stage on drums and Minnette front and center with a microphone and rhythm guitar.
Performing their popular hit “Scrawny” created an electrifying energy in the air, inspiring every concert-goer to dance to the beat however they pleased.
As the Wallows transitioned to a track called “Quarterback,” the band members swapped places and instruments, showing off their multi-instrumental skills. Minnette and Preston swapped places, with Minnette playing the drums and Preston taking the lead singing on this track.
Bouncing between a plethora of fast and slow songs from their discography, the band never failed to keep the crowd’s spirits up with their blatant love for performing and feeling the music.
“Who here has come to one of our shows before? I know you two have… I recognize you from last night’s show,” Minnette said, shocking the audience when he recognized a pair of girls in the front row from their concert the night before.
After performing hits like “These Days,” “Just Like A Movie” and “Uncomfortable,” Minnette ventured into the stands, walking whilst singing across the entire theater, creating a frenzied atmosphere. Lemasters followed suit, exploring the crowd a few songs after. Meanwhile, the stage was being altered with a few small chairs and two lamps placed at the front to emulate the feeling of a small room.
After a handful of songs, Lemasters reignited the energy by announcing a song they had only performed live twice before. Wild shouts and applause erupted throughout the entire venue as the crowd eagerly anticipated the reveal of “That’s What I Get”.
However, just two songs later, “Remember When” proved to be the song that had the most people dancing. The hint of rock and retro flare in the chorus invited the concert-goers to unleash their most unrestrained and vibrant dance moves.
As the song concluded, the band members waved and said a short, “Goodnight everyone!” before exiting the stage. However, the fans knew better and stayed glued to the ground.
Chants of “Encore!” and “One more song!” filled the amphitheater, and it became clear that the Wallows performance wasn’t quite done.
Around four minutes passed before Minnete, Lemasters and Preston reemerged from backstage to perform “I Don’t Want to Talk,” “Are You Bored Yet” and “Only Friend.”
The show concluded around 10:30 p.m., leaving joyful and excited expressions radiating across the entire venue. Wallows left San Diego’s concert-goers beaming ear-to-ear and feeling fulfilled after delivering their captivating performance on the second-to-last stop of the Model Tour.
