In the absence of an opening act, William Ryan Key walked out onstage quite early - an unintentional state of affairs after the opener stopped replying to communications. Unlike what could be expected, this did not seem to phase Key.
Opening the set with new intro song The Same Destination, it was clear there were many fans who had made effort in following him into the new venture. Playing through more solo songs than ever before, Key explored why his first name William has appeared for this new project in honour of his grandfather and explored anecdotes of his loss after the ending of Yellowcard.
Finishing his set with a few Yellowcard songs and latest release Virtue, William Ryan Key as a solo artist is very much just getting started - a fantastic performance from a seasoned performer.
Entering to a sunflower-covered stage, This Wild Life had a near-packed room completely transfixed. Mincing no words, frontman Kevin Jordan announced Concrete as 'an old one' and broke straight into the set. Featuring songs old and new, the first few songs came as a bold reminder of how they have got to this point; the honesty, positivity and energy are completely infectious and always get crowds moving quickly.
Perhaps the most intriguing thing about them live is the fact both Jordan and Anthony Del Grosso are both great musicians, and born of this is their array of instruments onstage. Guitars of electric and acoustic varieties both featured for the majority of the set, but a ukelele and a mandolin both had parts to play in the new material as well as a drumkit being split between the pair for the latter half of the set.
Finishing the emotional exploration of their back catalogue was No More Bad Days, a song that looks set to stay with the band their whole career. The biggest singalong of the night felt definitively cathartic as the pair listened intently to the words being sung back at them. A very well thought-through set by an incredibly DIY band.
Read our interview with Kevin to hear about their tour eating, their favourite tours and why Low Tides doesn't appear much in their set anymore.
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