The Wrecks Race to the Finish Line of their Cross-Country Tour at the Roxy Theatre

November 21st, 2024 – Los Angeles

On Thursday night, LA-based indie pop-rock quartet The Wrecks had a victorious, sold-out homecoming as they returned to perform at the Roxy Theatre for the first time in three years.

The Wrecks, consisting of Nick Anderson (vocals, guitar, keyboard, production), Nicholas “Schmizz” Schmidt (lead guitar), Aaron Kelley (bass) and William “Billy” Nally (drums), crossed the “finish line” for their second annual Super Half-Marathon Tour, a run that spanned five intimate club venues across the country in nine days.

Over the length of the Super Half-Marathon Tour, each night was primed by a different opening act. Los Angeles’ opener was Jutes, a genre-hybridizing artist who fused hip hop, R&B, and alternative rock. He led the audience through a taste of his versatile discography, ranging from a love song called “Born to Lose” that also acted as an homage to his friendship with The Wrecks frontman and track co-writer Nick Anderson, to “Sex & Palo Santo” which employed hardcore-influenced screams. Jutes’ set culminated with “Sleepyhead,” the catchy, viral title track off of his newest album which he credited to pulling his career “out of the grave.”

Photography by Carissa Leong (IG @carissalphoto.cr2)

When it was time for The Wrecks to make an appearance, it was like the entire venue came alive with warmth and adoration as the band members jogged through the crowd in sporty outfits, then stretched and hydrated on stage. Though I had only been a casual listener of The Wrecks in previous years, it became easy to see why they garnered the loyal support that they did; through their music combined with their live presence, there was a perfect, magnetic balance that they achieved between being eminently relatable and effortlessly cool.

The band’s setlist encompassed their dynamic discography, with hits including their more pop-punk influenced title track “Panic Vertigo” off of their 2018 EP, the punchy pop-rock title track “Sonder” off of their 2022 album and a few viral hits from their 2020 album Infinitely Ordinary. However, even a brief absence of their typical high energy went over well, as the audience was equally receptive to the mournful, acoustic-driven song “Normal.”

Despite only dropping in October, the venue filled with the audience calling back the lovestruck lyrics of “Always, Everytime,” the Wrecks’ first single since they signed with Lava/Republic Records. Though more heavily produced in its studio version, the warm and buzzy song was grounded in its live performance, and I felt like listening to it in a club venue, as a callback to the band’s DIY roots, was how it was meant to be experienced.

Photography by Carissa Leong (IG @carissalphoto.cr2)

During the middle of the show, The Wrecks also live-debuted a currently unreleased single called “Speed.” It was a fun track with a prominent, shimmering guitar riff and a catchy chorus that will warrant, at the very least, a few more listens upon its official release.

Toward the end of the set, the entire band came back onstage for the encore tradition that everyone was already anticipating. Somehow, the last three songs were shaped around my tastes, especially with the unexpected addition of “I Hope It’s Cold In New York” which was highly requested in spite of its lower streaming numbers. “Infinitely Ordinary,” which I had already associated with warm, picturesque film-grain vignettes of real life moments and human connection, was only improved upon by the collective singing of “I think I could get used to this life.” Finally, “Favorite Liar,” off of the band’s debut 2017 EP called We Are The Wrecks, was an effectively nostalgic way to bring the night to a close.

Photography by Carissa Leong (IG @carissalphoto.cr2)

“The music always comes from an authentic place,” Anderson noted in a press release. “I’m writing and producing the music, and we’re careful about everything from merchandise to social media. We aren’t looking over our fans’ heads. Instead, we’re looking in their eyes and really seeing them. We’re huddling up with them in the crowd. We’re all in on it, and it’s special and fun because of that.”

Out of the entire set, that connection to their fans was what really made the show stand out. Driven by Anderson’s charisma, the frontman cracked jokes, played rock-paper-scissors over a guitar pick and took a six year-old fan to dance through the crowd to both the final song and raucous applause. Brimming with confidence which spilled out far beyond the walls of the Roxy, The Wrecks wrapped up their tour triumphantly and readied themselves for the next chapter of their career–which features an upcoming album and a spring US tour–with infectious and unparalleled vigor.

Stream The Wrecks’ new single “Always, Everytime”: