On October 8th, 2010, Wild Nothing opened for Stars at the Barrymore Theater in Madison, Wisconsin. Not allowing themselves to get swallowed by the massive stage, Wild Nothing filled the room with an sound bigger than their slight, hunched frames belied. While the recorded material is relaxed and expansive, the addition of three musicians to Jack Tatum’s one-man band generates a live energy that tape and microphones just can’t capture. Tatum’s sweetly-toned vocals hovered over songs that should have been written by a California native instead of a Virginian. Despite evoking thoughts of the Sunshine State, the songs all had a smooth, sad quality, similar to the feeling of riding the bus alone on a rainy day or watching the sun fail to break through the clouds after a storm. Don’t be fooled though: Wild Nothing’s performance will leave listeners anything but empty. Satisfying and leaving an afterglow, theirs is a set to catch.
Click the photo below to see more shots from the night.
LOVE wild nothing… Wish I could have made this show.