On Saturday night of Halloween weekend, I had the pleasure of seeing Wolf Alice at August Hall in San Francisco. As I walked to the venue from the train station, I began to fill with excitement. The streets were crowded with party-goers in full costumes. Girls dressed in 70s attire ran down the dimly lit San Francisco hills, while loudly singing as they made their way to what would presumably be a great time. It was the perfect night for a concert.
Once I made it to the venue, the crowds poured in, standing shoulder to shoulder in the intimate and slightly haunting August Hall. The intricate moldings of cherubs on the ceilings felt like something straight out of a 17th-century Vampire novel. To my surprise, those in attendance varied in age and had mostly nothing in common. Some were dressed up as the Joker, Princess Leia, and others took on no costumes at all. The diverse crowd was revealing the pull rock music has on so many kinds of people. Beautifully, the excitement among us all distracted us from all obvious factors of difference.
The band took the stage, looking like a pack of businessmen who just escaped a bar fight. They were in ragged suits, covered in bandages and blood. I must say it was one of the best group costumes I’d seen all weekend.
Opening with “Smile,” the first song off of their newest album Blue Weekend (2021), the band began on an energetic note, with slamming drums you could feel in your core. Their fluorescent grunge aesthetic was brought to life during the song “Beautifully Unconventional.” Lights of all colors poured down on the crowd and stage, presenting a euphoric feeling among us all. I quickly was surrounded by dancing. Two older women standing in front of me began jumping up and down like children, while a person dressed as a dinosaur standing beside me joined in.
As the night went on, I fell more and more in love with Wolf Alice. This was solidified when “Bros” began to play, an older song off their debut album. I turned to my friend under the neon pink lights singing and dancing to the lyrics “Shake your hair, have some fun! Forget our mothers and past lovers, forget everyone/ Oh, I’m so lucky, you are my best friend.”
Lead singer, Ellie Rosewells, had stand-out vocals throughout the show. They were light and airy like a whimsical whisper. Her stage presence was magnetic as she danced around the stage from one side to the other.
The night ended with one of my favorite songs, “Don’t Delete the Kisses,” for one last dance with Wolf Alice— and the large group of strangers I was surrounded by. When the lights went down, we began squeezing our way out the doors, and I was left with the overwhelming feeling of joy and sadness I usually get whenever a concert I love has ended. Wolf Alice’s whimsical take on Alt Grungy Rock was nothing short of perfect, even more so when performed live. Leaving me emotional, overjoyed, and wanting more.
Article and Photos by Layla Mahmoud