The Wrecks are currently on The INSIDE: Outside Tour celebrating the release of the first half of their newest album, “INSIDE:.” The band made a stop in Washington DC on May 17th for a late night show and played to a sold out crowd at the 9:30 Club. 

The Wrecks was formed in Los Angeles in 2015 and consists of Nick Anderson, Aaron Kelley, Billy Nally, and Nick “Schmizz” Schmidt, most of whom are originally from the east coast. As fate would have it, the universe brought them together in California and four months later, they would release their first single, “Favorite Liar,” which became a huge success, leading them to where they are today.

The Wrecks have always prided themselves on the DIY aspect and spontaneity of their shows, stating that they have never been huge on production, partially due to budgetary reasons, but also due to the fact that they rely heavily on the energy and enthusiasm they receive from the audience when they play their live shows. It is a truly unmatched experience watching the band interact with their fans and the dedication that is shown on both sides to make the live shows so distinct. Because they are not beholden to a tight production timeline during the live show, it allows for a lot more room to play, talk to the audience, change setlists, and take requests at the last minute. 

There were many memorable occurrences like this that helped create an identity for Saturday’s show, making it easy for fans to form core memories. Before the band performed their song “Where Are You Now?” Nick called a fan up on the stage and had her introduce herself to the audience. We learned that her name is Gracie, they had met at a previous show, and apparently it was her birthday. Nick had her sit on the red couch that was onstage and wait while he began to sing the song. (A fun side note about the couch is that it came from inside Nick’s home.) During the bridge, Gracie joined Nick at the mic stand and she sang the rest of the song with him. 

Another notable interactive moment from the show was when a fan threw three juggling balls onto the stage as a way to get the band’s attention. Chaos ensued as they were given instructions to juggle and the color of the first ball they dropped corresponded to a song they had to play. Nick entertained the idea by having Aaron juggle to choose the next song. After an epic run of juggling, it was decided that the yellow ball was dropped first and the song “I Don’t Know” was revealed on a poster the fan had made. 

Throughout the evening, there were plenty of moments like these that made the show unique, making each audience member in attendance feel like they got their own special performance from their favorite band. They ended their set with a high energy performance of “Favorite Liar,” keeping with the tradition of Nick splitting the crowd down the middle and singing the bridge while he walked to the back of the venue to dance with the audience, before returning to the stage for the band’s final bow.