The Wrecks at Concord Music Hall

On May 4th, I was lucky enough to see The Wrecks perform at Concord Music Hall in Chicago. They’re an American pop-rock band, based in LA, California. In 2016, The Wrecks released their first single, “Favorite Liar,” and it was an instant hit.

I went into the concert not knowing what to expect. I had only started listening to them a few weeks prior, when my friend had recommended their new EP, Inside. The same day that I began listening, he mentioned that he had an extra ticket for the show.

On the day of the show, the doors opened at 6:30. We arrived at Concord at 4:30 and braved the cold and the rain to get into the venue. Once we were in, we got some merchandise and then went down to the floor. My friend and I were very close to the barricade.

At 7:30, the first opener began his set. His name was Benjamin Carter. While his music was good, I didn’t know it. I definitely enjoyed it, though. I also enjoyed the second opener, which began around 8:15 pm, Quarters of Change. The openers were very exciting, and Quarters of Change had incredible lighting effects.

Around 9:20 pm, The Wrecks finally came on stage and began their song Sonder. Sonder came out in 2022, alongside an album of the same title. Their set ended up going on for ~55 minutes. That is, it was ~55 minutes of music, alongside fun stuff that happened on stage. At one point, the lead singer Nick was reading people’s phones and signs. It was beautiful chaos. 

During the set, Nick shifted tones a bit and brought out an acoustic guitar. He played a cover of Over My Head (Cable Car) by The Fray. He then proceeded to play Normal (Acoustic) and make everyone in the room emotional.

Right before that, The Wrecks played a song titled This Life I Have. As the song was beginning, Nick told everyone who was there with a friend to “tell you’re friend you’re going to beat them up!” and then proceeded to play a very high energy song as a mosh pit formed behind me. It was truly unexpected but it was a lot of fun.

If you’re able to, go see The Wrecks on the rest of their Inside: Outside tour. They’re a great band with a very fun concert.