The Wrecks Bring Unmatched Energy to Salt Lake City on the INSIDE : OUTSIDE Tour

Written By: Louise Olivia

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This Saturday, Nick Anderson of alternative-rock band The Wrecks celebrated his 30th birthday

with hundreds of screaming, cheering fans. Over the course of their show at The Complex in

downtown Salt Lake City, audience members passed Anderson a pink sash and tiara, delivered

him a large cardboard cut-out of his own face, and sang Happy Birthday to lure him back onstage for an encore.

By the last song, Anderson was so exhausted from dancing, laughing, cheering and belting lyrics that he could hardly finish the outro of “Favorite Liar”. “I’ve been doing cardio to prepare for this tour, Salt Lake City- [but] you got me.” Anderson quipped before taking an exaggerated swig of his water. 

Normally, I’d attribute the lead vocalist’s exhaustion to Utah’s high altitude, which is often unforgiving for touring musicians. However, after experiencing the electricity of the show firsthand- I can confidently say Anderson’s breathlessness was earned by his infectious, dynamic, stage presence. This, combined with a devoted, boundlessly energetic crowd made The INSIDE : OUTSIDE Tour one of the best shows I’ve been to this year.

As the 1st and 2nd openers (Benjamin Carter and Quarters of Change, respectively) concluded, I already had high hopes. The crowd was bubbling with anticipation like a simmering pot of water. I was writing in my notes app when the crowd exploded into screams and applause, signaling to me that the band had taken the stage.

Photo By: Louise Olivia

The first song was “Out Of Style”, which certainly made for a strong start with its punchy guitar opening (Nick Schmidt) and pulsing bassline (Aaron Kelley). “Out of Style” is a great embodiment of The Wreck’s sound. There’s this characteristic tension that builds throughout the sarcastic, passive aggressive, often humorous verses. The tension is ultimately resolved with a totally beltable zenith at the chorus. 

Anderson entered like a tornado. He literally leapt across the stage, spinning like a top and kicking at the air with a grin. Anderson also figuratively leaps for high notes with his wildly impressive vocal range. 

The next song was “Always Everytime”, with its relentlessly catchy namesake chorus, crisp guitar riffs, and a bass part that drives the whole thing forward. The lyrics for “Always, Everytime” are more playful than “Out Of Style” and surprisingly sincere. The verses imitate the magic of a new romance with someone who appreciates you for your uniqueness, and who has their own quirks that you adore. 

“Always Everytime” is followed by one of my personal favorites - “Fvck Somebody”. “Fvck Somebody” is a raw and imaginative take on a break-up song. It’s surprisingly cheery to listen to, but has a punk sound that suits Anderson’s vocals extremely well. While I could go on and on about this song- I feel that I’d be doing you a disservice if I didn’t just tell you to go listen to it yourself. You won’t regret it. 

There’s multiple stand outs for me after “Fvck Somebody”. “Freaking Out” feels like a panic attack in the best way possible, and I am personally grateful to have heard it for the first time at this show. The bass line just hits differently when you can feel it reverberating through all of your bones. The chorus, namely the lyric “I feel fine”, is even more heart wrenching when shouted desperately over a screaming crowd. 

“Where Are You Now” was a refreshing departure from the rest of the set list. It’s a stunning break-up ballad with painfully relatable lyrics. Schmidt’s punchy guitar really shines here, as well as Anderson’s soaring high notes towards the end of the piece.