It was the middle of June in the year 2021. This decade has been pretty terrible, but that single month may have been the most optimistic month of the hellscape we are living in. That’s when employers started hiring again en masse. Biden was hitting a solid stride in the White House. COVID was actually looking like it was about to turn a corner. And, for what felt like the first time years, the world was gifted a song born during the darkness that had killer hooks and lyrics that are purely silly. That song was “Chaise Longue,” and for me, it represented hope. Something that had been missing for far too long.
In the months since that blissful song entered our lives, the world has gotten darker. Yet, more and more people were quickly embracing Wet Leg. A second single, “Wet Leg,” came as things started to really subside again, and, somehow, it helped boost my mood again. That single was accompanied by news of a short winter tour- three cities in three nights. With the pangs of Delta uncertainty knocking at the door, I still decided to buy tickets. It was a good thing I did because those three shows sold out fast and quickly turned into a dozen. And as the news grew darker and more sour, I knew Wet Leg was coming to America. I made sure to get my booster and some well-fitted N95s in order to stay safe because I wasn’t missing this show.
The day of the show rolled around, and it was pouring rain. However, I trucked out to Rickshaw Stop to be greeted by local legend Aaron Axelson spinning some classic Britpop and other tracks that fit the Britpop vibe. I looked around and noticed that the crowd was all nicely masked and surprisingly older than I expected. My friend and I danced to the likes of Elastica and Le Tigre. It was amazing. I hadn’t “danced” outside of my living room in years.
After we got our heart rate up, Oakland’s Fake Fruit brought us to the next level. I felt like I’ve slept on this band… They are both heavy and groovy at the same time. Band leader Hannah D’Amato plays guitar much in the vein of Television’s Tom Verlaine- intense while a little noodly. Her vocals were dry, mostly sing-speak, telling us stories that I couldn’t quite make out, but I really wanted to hear. They were the perfect opener as they left us wanting more, and I’m definitely looking to invest in this record to hear what I suspect are great lyrics. She also mentioned how “hot button” an issue candy corn is and refused to tell us how she felt about it. My only regret was not picking up their LP from the merch table on the way out.
Speaking of the merch table- Remember when I interviewed Rhian Teasdale over the Summer? And she said that one of the reasons for the name was that it would look good on a t-shirt? Well, I’d been waiting to buy one of those shirts since that interview, but when I got to the merch table, THERE WERE NO SHIRTS! It was pretty lovely, actually. They had a stack of stickers and an autographed drum head with an original doodle from some member of the group, instead. Also, they weren’t making money for themselves off the merch. They used it as an opportunity to raise money for Afghan women that are on the run from the Taliban! A lovely cause that you can donate to, as well!
On with the show… The band opened with the slow-burning “Too Late Now,” the group’s excellent new single. The audience was in rapt attention and exploded along with the band as the track built up. It was like getting launched into a rocket ship! The band played two songs that have yet to have an official release that were both excellent, hooky earworms: “It’s Not Fun” and “Ur Mum.” “Ur Mum” sounded especially like a song I’ve known and loved for years, even though I heard it for the first time last night.
Then, the part moved to the next level. A man just behind waived his hand in the air to reveal lobster claws. Teasdale was awestruck! She startled into the mic: “Are those lobster claws?!?!?” The lobster claws landed onstage, and Teasdale tried to play guitar with them on, unsuccessfully. But it did remind the band to play “Wet Leg” next, and, much like it was a rock n roll screening of The Room, throughout the song, various audience members held up lobster claws.
Fuck yeah. It also made me regret not bringing a copy of Buffalo ‘66 on DVD.
The mood stayed elevated from here on out, with the audience dancing to songs they’ve never heard before, with little explosions happening during the hits. “Oh No,” a song that finally clicked to me is about doomscrolling, sound even more jittery and anxious in person. The sole ballad, “Obvious,” feels ready for high school dances around the globe. The penultimate number, “Angelica” was the second time tonight where I was definitely hearing the song for the first time, but I was mouthing out the words to the chorus by the time it was over.
Of course, the band closed with “Chaise Longue.” Yes, a drunkard had been requesting it ALL NIGHT, somehow thinking they might not play it? We got a bit of awkward, scripted banter to bring it out, with Teasdale saying “And you know what they had in our dressing room? AN ACTUAL CHAISE LONGUE!! So you know what we are playing now!” And the audience reacted not like they’ve been waiting since the moment they heard the song to get this experience. The audience drowned out guitarist Hester Chambers responses. When Teasdale told us that she went to school to “get the big D,” an actual inflatable letter D showed up in the crowd! The whole band, except for the rhythm section, broke character completely and started laughing in hysterics! It was so beautiful and human.
…and with that, there was no encore. We just poured our masked selves into the rain-soaked streets of San Francisco, elated from our night, and feeling confirmed that the hype behind Wet Leg is fully justified, and we are going to get several more lovely decades with this band.
