WISP DAZZLES THE METRO IN CHICAGO
Shortly after her recent opening slot with System of a Down, Wisp returned to Chicago on her headline tour with support from Dream Ivory and aldn.
Her combination of shoegaze, emotionally forward lyrics and good energy lay at the forefront of her sound. Iconic, full of wisdom and experience: it’s Wisp.
In earlier days, the 2023 release of “Your Face” skyrocketed her into viral fame and cult-like community. Just two years after her debut, she released an EP Pandora and her debut album If Not Winter in early August of this year. Her early inspirations include My Chemical Romance and Whirr, who she references in her Instagram handle. Her fans adore her shyness and anonymity in her personality. They come to her shows for her fuzzy guitars and emotional shoegaze sound; she’s 100% unique. Leading the front of reviving the genre, she has blended in indie rock and dream pop to create a one of a kind sound.
Luckily enough, Wisp’s If Not Winter Tour made its way through Chicago shortly after her huge opening slot for System of a Down earlier this summer. For my first ever time attending Metro, I was delighted to enter a mid-sized venue with an extensive balcony space and wide floor area, the winding staircase led concert-goers to prime viewing areas; and made the space a bit of a choose your own adventure.
Opening the night with a huge bang was aldn, who is popularly known for “icantbelieveiletyougetaway” which reached mega-virality on TikTok. His signature red-light head lamp gazed out over the crowd for his short, but powerful opening set. aldn and his band have a unique use of synths and a powerful stage presence. It was truly something to see that the first words he sung on stage that night were so iconic, that every person sang along immediately — pretty powerful stuff.
Next up was Dream, Ivory, the two-piece moody rockers with loads of intense vocals. The California boys are known for their DIY approach to music, which definitely was felt in their grungey production and synth-rock feel. I thought their dynamic was super interesting together on stage, even after a few technical difficulties with cables and cords on stage, the group stayed professional and poised throughout it all.
The headlining act, Wisp, took to the stage with an epic entrance, the lights strobing in a warm, bright light followed by clouds of fog. The band began to enter the stage and the crowd was a-roar, pulling out their phones to record the first moments of the performance.
As soon as Wisp entered the stage, the first song began slow and calm, before it erupted into the sounds of one of her most popular songs “Pandora”. This sweet and meaningful first song was like her way of welcoming the crowd; welcoming them for the night. The crowd was simply in awe of the sounds before them, swaying back and forth with the beat.
For the first few songs, Wisp stayed on guitar, but for the songs where she wasn’t playing; she took fan interaction to the next level. Bending down and reaching out into the audience, grabbing hands of those in the front row, was so sweet to watch. That was the overall vibe of this show, emitting her pure and feminine energy into the crowd that was felt in the hearts of all who attended.
Later in the evening, Wisp asked a favor of the crowd, inviting everyone to get down low to the ground during “I Remember How” and, when the chorus hit, jump up and go crazy. Of course, this crowd in Chicago delivered ten-fold. The energy was through the roof, for such an amazing performer, I think this crowd would do just about anything to have her stop through their city again.
Most recently, Wisp released her cover of “Yellow” by Coldplay and is continuing to tour across North America. In October, she will be taking her show to UK/EU, grab tickets here for all!
