British duo Oh Wonder rocked the stage on Friday at Boston’s House of Blues. This was my third time seeing them in concert and Josephine and Anthony never fail to put on an amazing show. Every time I see them, I start to feel a little sad about how underrated they actually are. Not many people know about them, but they are incredible musicians and songwriters. Even though they are not played on the mainstream radio stations, their indie pop music definitely deserves attention. I discovered two of their songs, “Without You” and “All We Do,” about three years ago, and I have been obsessed ever since.
My friend, Samantha, and I had floor seats for Friday’s concert, so we arrived early to wait in line. We stood there for an hour in the cold, rainy weather (I guess wearing a crop top wasn’t the best idea). But, the wait was absolutely worth it!
By the time we got inside, there were only about four people in front of us. The concert was supposed to start at 8:00pm, and the opening act, Jaymes Young, came on right on time. He had such a smooth and relaxing voice, the perfect opener for Oh Wonder. His set finished within 30 minutes, and there was only a short gap between him leaving and Oh Wonder coming onto the stage. Oh Wonder played a total of 18 songs that were from their first and second albums.
(Photo from Her Campus’ Zoe Hawryluk)
If you know Oh Wonder and you have listened to their albums, you would know that most of their songs are slow and relaxing. However, when it comes to playing these songs in concert, they really know how to liven up the music and get everyone on their feet. Everyone with floor seats, including me and my friend, were constantly moving, dancing, and singing along. Their setlist is the perfect combination of upbeat and chill songs, but the overall energy in the room never dies down.
I would say most of this energy comes from Josephine, the female of the duo, and her spirit and liveliness on stage. She is constantly smiling and engaging with the audience, as well as with Anthony, the other half of the duo. Although she plays the piano for most of the songs, she manages to move around the stage to connect with everyone in the venue. I also love the fact that she takes the time to stop between songs and give quick little anecdotes that further connect her with the audience.
At the last Oh Wonder concert I attended (in New Jersey), she told the story behind their song “High on Humans.” She had an amazing conversation with two girls in the airport in which they spent an hour discussing why some foods are better than others. Josephine just absolutely loved that interaction and I think the audience at Oh Wonder concerts genuinely appreciated her candidness and enthusiasm from all these different life experiences.
As I mentioned before, this was my third time seeing Oh Wonder in concert. This was honestly the best one of the three. The venue, House of Blues, had an incredible vibe, even before they came on stage. And, of course, when they did come on stage, the energy of the room skyrocketed. Part of the room’s aura came from the set of lights that spell out “OW” on stage. These lights are at every concert and they just bring everything together. When the audience sees those lights before the duo comes on stage, everyone gets excited. When the audience sees those lights throughout the concert, and how they change color to the beat of the music, everyone feels the vitality in the room. And finally, when the audience sees those lights after the concert, everyone is reminded of how they have felt for the past few hours.