Concert Review: wilt Irving Plaza, NY

It's no secret that bands often labeled with buzzwords such as “new” or “rising” are rarely creating music for the first time. Sure, the artist or band may be new to lots of people, but in an age of endless music coming out at any given moment, there’s a desire to find the next big thing before anyone else does. wilt is the primary example of a group hit with a constant stream of “best new band” monikers, as the California based rock outfit became one of the hottest groups on the rock circuit thanks to a poignant form of rock songwriting and a tight-knit live performance in a seemingly quick manner, but not after giving years of time into the fruition of their craft.

The group have been active since 2022, releasing a steady stream of singles for years, but it was 2024’s self-titled EP that got a wide net of eyes on the group. The five-track project featured the slow burning rock foray “bite my tongue,” featuring a powerhouse vocal performance from singer Chelsea Rifkin that elevates the track from a simple internal contemplation to a head on confrontation. The group have been going strong with a series of acclaimed singles, tours with artists such as Taylor Acorn and Lovejoy, and a newly announced debut record when no one’s watching out October 2nd. In the leadup to the debut, the four-piece have landed an opening spot on Jutes’ Smile, You’re on Tour, and I got to watch wilt create the best version of their sound in front of a packed-out audience at New York’s Irving Plaza.

Guitarists Andrew Liebman and Aaron Vance took to the blue-lit stage and launched into “the riff,” introducing the band to the crowd the same way the 2023 single showcased wilt to the world upon release. The buildup of the track was immense, creating what seemed like involuntary smiles upon the faces of the audience members. From there, the group went into when no one’s watching’s lead single “nothing good to cry about,” and immediately followed up with the punk inspired unreleased track “rats.” Chelsea’s vocal chops are second to none, with the duality of powerful melodies followed by harsh screams complimenting each other perfectly on tracks such as “rats” and “dent,” another single from when no one’s watching. Whether it was the group’s first single “gwen,” their cover of t.A.t.i’s “All the Things She Said,” or their crowd engaging closer “bite my tongue,” every member of wilt was visibly dialed into their performance but also looked jovial while doing it. With the challenges of touring only becoming exacerbated in recent years, it takes a level of resilience to carry out a performance with the tenacity and energy of wilt. They are going to be a group you see headlining rooms just like Irving Plaza in a few years, just wait.

wilt’s debut record is on my most anticipated records in the near future, and I can’t wait to catch wilt live again. You can get tickets for the remainder of their shows with Jutes and Mothica here, as well as preorder when no one’s watching here.

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