Wolf Alice Wow on the Second of Two Bought Out 9:30 Membership Exhibits in Washington, D.C.
The Band Carried out Songs from Their New Album The Clearing and Virtually All of the Biggest Hits
Sep 24, 2025
Images by Wendy Lynch Redfern
Regardless of Wolf Alice being certainly one of my favourite bands of the final decade—with all of their earlier three albums at or close to the highest of my album of the yr lists—I had by no means caught the band reside earlier than. They by no means performed a competition I used to be at, have been by no means enjoying of their native London (additionally my hometown) after I was there, and infrequently carried out near the place I at present reside in Virginia. If a band is enjoying three or extra hours away on every week evening it’s arduous to make the journey. However all that modified when Wolf Alice carried out on September 13, 2025 on the 9:30 Membership in Washington, D.C. Positive it was three hours away, however it was on a Saturday evening and on high of that it was an early present, with doorways opening at 6 p.m. and the band happening at 7:30 p.m. owing to a late evening present from one other artist that evening. It was the second of two sold-out reveals within the nation’s capital.
We didn’t make it in time to see the opener (sorry Willy Mason!), however bought there simply in time for Wolf Alice, going to our favored 9:30 spot on the entrance however to the left of the stage. My 12-year-old daughter Rose remains to be getting used to packed membership reveals (though she’s been to fairly a couple of now) and on the 9:30 Membership likes the consolation of being close to the wall, but additionally shut sufficient to see. And since my spouse Wendy is normally taking photographs, it’s shut sufficient to the picture pit.
Wolf Alice have been touring in assist of their not too long ago launched fourth album, The Clearing, and so the set was closely populated with tracks from it, however the band additionally made room for previous favorites. Whereas the band’s earlier three albums—My Love Is Cool (2015), Visions of a Life (2017), Blue Weekend (2021)—have been all splendidly eclectic, leaping genres from track to track, The Clearing sticks to at least one constant model, drawing main affect from ’70s rock, with Fleetwood Mac specifically singled out by the band. Whereas a handful of critics and followers have bemoaned the lack of the band’s punkier aspect and their bold style switches, The Clearing has been properly acquired and was nominated for the celebrated Mercury Prize (making them 4 for 4, with every of their albums nominated—they received for Visions of a Life). Our personal critic, Andy Von Pip, praised the album with a 9/10 evaluation, writing that it’s “a basic that reveals a band assured of their evolution, unafraid to shed what not matches, and stepping ahead with renewed objective.”
Wolf Alice opened the live performance with Clearing album-opener “Thorns.” At first the stage was very darkish, with dramatic lighting and fog, however then extra mild revealed front-woman Ellie Rowsell, who was clad in a leopard print leotard, black tights, and white boots, with blue eye shadow. It was fairly a glance and set the tone for her commanding stage presence.
Wolf Alice’s guitarist Joff Oddie needed to sit out this tour, because it timed with the start of his little one. Filling in was John Victor from the man London band Gengahr. Having by no means seen Wolf Alice earlier than, it’s arduous to say how this affected the band’s sound, however it appeared that Victor match proper in. One wonders how lengthy he rehearsed with the band. Victor, wearing all black and along with his hair virtually in his face, seemed like he belonged in Experience or another early ’90s shoegaze band.
Proper off the bat it was obvious that Rowsell’s vocals have been simply as highly effective reside, with implausible vary. Clearly there’s no studio trickery happening with their LPs, she’s simply as able to belting out loud punk anthems as she is singing soulful ballads.
For songs two and three Wolf Alice dipped into the again catalogue with My Love Is Cool’s “Your Loves Whore,” with Rowsell on electrical guitar (which sounded epic), and Visions of a Life’s “Formidable Cool,” with Rowsell stalking the stage whereas her voice was filtered by an echo impact.
“We missed ya,” Rowsell then mentioned to the viewers. “We’re going to play some new songs from our new album. If I can bear in mind tips on how to play them, which I in all probability can’t,” she joked. Spoiler alert, in contrast to Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker, who forgot the lyrics to at least one new track on the Anthem in Washington, D.C. the weekend earlier than, Rowsell did simply superb.
Then as promised Wolf Alice performed 4 songs from the brand new album: “Passenger Seat,” “Bloom Child Bloom,” “Simply Two Ladies,” and “Leaning Towards the Wall.” At one level the fan on the stage blew Rowsell’s hair again as she was singing and he or she seemed like she was in an ’80s rock video.
Then we have been handled to 2 Blue Weekend cuts—“How Can I Make It OK?” and “Secure From Heartbreak (If You By no means Fall in Love).” “Let’s get the boys on the again as much as the entrance for a little bit singalong,” Rowsell mentioned earlier than the latter. Drummer Joel Amey and touring keyboardist Ryan Malcolm joined Rowsell and bassist Theo Ellis on the entrance of the stage for a extra stripped down “Secure From Heartbreak (If You By no means Fall in Love)” backed by acoustic guitar, bass, and the great harmonies of the group.
Amey returned to the package to sing lead vocals on Clearing monitor “White Horses,” which Rowsell additionally sings on. The track rocked extra reside than the studio model. Two extra Blue Weekend tracks (“Smile” and “Scrumptious Issues”) adopted. In between them, Ellis mentioned: “I’ll let you know this free of charge. It is a legendary venue. Thanks for coming to see us. We love you. Somebody purchase me a drink!”
“Bread Butter Tea Sugar,” one of many highlights from The Clearing (shoulda been a single), fortunately was carried out, it’s T. Rex-ian stomp going over properly. Rowsell briefly left the stage and returned with a megaphone, however with its alarm going off at first. Then she sang the vocals to Visions of a Life’s “Yuk Foo,” one of many band’s extra raucous numbers, by the megaphone, making for one of many extra memorable moments of the present. There was a younger lady (elementary aged, perhaps eight or 9) down the entrance along with her dad and mom and at one level Rowsell went as much as her and let her push the button that operated the megaphone alarm. Then they shortly launched into Blue Weekend’s “Play the Biggest Hits” for a formidable punk-fueled one-two punch.
The one slight disappointment of the night was My Love Is Cool’s “Silk,” a fan favourite that was backed by a cool digital drumbeat however was a bit extra subdued and flat than the album model.
For Blue Weekend’s “No Laborious Emotions” they stripped it again primarily to Rowsell’s vocals and Ellis’ base, as they sat subsequent to one another.
My Love Is Cool’s “Large Seaside” can be a set nearer for every other band, however there have been nonetheless a number of songs to go when Wolf Alice launched into the mammoth track, the viewers shook by the extraordinary bass and swept over by the wall of sound, with Rowsell on guitar. On the finish of the track she briefly performed the guitar licks for The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Military” and Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man” (R.I.P. Ozzy!). The web tells me that’s an everyday factor she does when enjoying “Large Seaside.”
Ellis joked that it had been 9 hours since he requested for a drink and nobody had introduced him one but. “Ought to we now have ole fucking time or what?” he requested the viewers earlier than the band performed “Bros,” one of many songs that originally put the band on the map.
The principle set ended with “The Couch,” one of the best single from The Clearing, which is an anthem for twenty- and thirtysomethings making an attempt to work out their life and whether or not or not they need to get off the couch (or sofa) and do one thing about their future. The band shortly returned to the stage for a two-song encore led by “Moaning Lisa Smile,” one other of the band’s early singles (which was additionally included on the U.S. model of their debut album). They then ended with Visions of a Life’s “Don’t Delete the Kisses,” seemingly Wolf Alice’s finest identified track (it’s their high track on Spotify at the least), the viewers singing alongside to each phrase. Maybe ending with a extra epic rocker, corresponding to “Large Seaside” or “Fluffy,” would’ve been the best way to go, however this nonetheless labored. It was, nevertheless, a disgrace that they didn’t play one other of their extra recognizable songs, the chill-inducing “The Final Man on Earth.”
Because the band left the stage Amey went out of his approach to give his drum sticks to the younger lady on the entrance, making it seemingly an evening she’s going to lengthy bear in mind (as will we too). Wolf Alice totally delivered, surpassing all lofty expectations I had for that band.
It’s no small feat to promote out two nights on the 9:30 Membership, however one wonders why Wolf Alice aren’t even larger in America and enjoying The Anthem as an alternative. Actually there’s a protracted historical past of British bands who play a lot larger venues again dwelling (working example, Elbow play arenas within the UK however are additionally on the 9:30 Membership this Friday). Breaking America is difficult and requires an entire lot of cash, effort, and touring. Each single certainly one of Wolf Alice’s albums, together with the brand new one, have been nominated for The Mercury Prize and have garnered rave evaluations and album of the yr mentions within the UK, the place they’ve performed the primary stage at Glastonbury and headline massive venues and the place their final two albums have debuted at #1 on the charts. Some U.S. tastemakers have been extra reserved nevertheless. None of their albums have achieved Greatest New Music from Pitchfork, with all of them getting between a 7 and seven.4 ranking. Pitchfork have additionally by no means interviewed the band so far as I can inform, however have executed about 12 information gadgets on them in 10 years (we’ve executed 11 this yr alone). Stereogum have barely coated them, past a couple of stray information gadgets. Regardless of, Wolf Alice are doing superb. They not too long ago performed “Bloom Child Bloom” on Jimmy Kimmel Reside! (a number of weeks earlier than he bought briefly taken off the air) and in the event that they proceed enjoying reveals as robust because the one on the 9:30 Membership, their fame and American viewers can solely develop.
Learn our interview with Wolf Alice on Blue Weekend.
