For the first time since 2011, Wavves and Best Coast have joined each other on their co- headlining tour entitled Summer is Forever II. Both bands will be joined by Cherry Glazerr on their follow up tour across North America. Summer is Forever II launched on February 11th in Austin, Texas.
On February 13th, crowds of teens lined the streets of New Orleans excited to have the opportunity to witness these double headliners. Many of them had been queueing since early in the day, and by the time the doors opened at 7:30, the street was lined with concert goers. I was excited to see a few of my favourite bands play together. My enthusiasm heightened as I saw Cherry Glazerr entering the venue and speaking with fans. Upon entrance, I noticed the venue seemed perfect for Wavves’ crowd with plenty of floor space and a nice bar .
The evening began quickly with Cherry Glazerr’s set starting promptly at 8:30. Although early, the start of the whiny guitar and captivating light show got the crowd excited. They began with their most recently released single, ‘Had Ten Dollaz.’ They continued playing crowd favorites throughout the set including ‘Grilled Cheese’, ‘Trick or Treat Dancefloor’, and ‘Whites Not My Color This Evening’.
About twenty minutes after nine , Best Coast took the stage opening with the song, ‘When I’m With You.’ Bethany’s stage present was commanding and elegant. I was completely entranced by her impressive 18 song performance. Toward the end of their set, Best Coast played their most notable hit, ‘Boyfriend’ from the 2010 album, Crazy for You. “I hate this song, but you guys like it so I’ll play it,” said Cosentino jokingly. Best Coast concluded their set with ‘When Will I Change.’ Although the venue’s security was not thrilled that the set ran 45 minutes over, we definitely were.
Because of the time delay, Wavves quickly took the stage. Within a matter of minutes, the vibe of the crowd completely changed. The energy heightened and the crowd began moshing with the first notes of ‘Sail To The Sun.’ Nathan Williams seemed to feed off the energy that the crowd emitted. During his performance of the song ‘Mickey Mouse’, Williams sat on the barricade and sang with his fans, enjoying the atmosphere as much as we were. The duration of his 24 song set included loads of drinking, Valentine’s Day surprises such as balloons and extra songs, mosh pits, and fun. Fans were pleased to hear Wavves’ diverse set list composed of equally as many songs from V, Afraid of Heights, and King of the Beach. To our delight, they concluded the night with their most popular song to date and one of my favorites, ‘King of the Beach.’
Three amazing acts lead to one amazing night. Each band impressed equally and the crowd was insane. Summer is Forever II exceeded my expectations.
Words by Morgan Badurak