Most people go to concerts to see the main act. If they get there early enough to see the opener, that’s fine with them. If not, no big deal.
But if you’ve followed me and read my posts in the past, you know I’m a HUGE proponent of seeing the opener – even when you aren’t familiar with them. I’ve discovered some amazing bands by showing up a little early to see the opener.
On this particular occasion, I went to World Cafe Live last Thursday night specifically to see the opener – William Wild. Of course, I stayed to see the main act – City of the Sun – as well, and I’ll share with you what I thought about their portion of the show too.
William Wild has a new album coming out March 20th called Push Ups. You can pre-order your copy here. This show was a sneak preview of a lot of the songs that are on that album, and I definitely recommend you check it out!
It’s not news to anyone that live shows are going to be going quiet for at least the next few weeks. This show was supposed to be the first show of William Wild’s tour. Unfortunately, it ended up being the first and the last show of the tour. If you didn’t get to experience it yourself, keep reading to find out all about it!
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THE VENUE
World Cafe Live is one of my favorite venues in the city. Not only has it always been a great venue to see live music, but it recently became a non-profit entity. You can read more about the change and what it means for the city of Philadelphia here.
The William Wild show was held in the upstairs room, which has recently been re-named as The Lounge at World Cafe Live. The Lounge gives people the chance to attend an intimate show in a seated setting. It’s also a chance to relax and have a great dinner at your seat before the show.
You can read more about World Cafe Live and my tips for attending a show there here.
THE SHOW
WILLIAM WILD
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Garrett Sale – aka William Wild – is based out of Tennessee. William Wild recorded and released his first music in 2014. By 2016, he had released the EP Steady Now, and was starting to build a devoted fan base. His single from that EP – “Morning” – has been streamed more than 12 million times on Spotify. Songs off the EP have also been featured on t.v. shows and movies including Yellowstone, Brittany Runs a Marathon, and Wind River.
After having success with Steady Now, William Wild had a hard time writing his follow up record. In 2017, he was living in a cheap rental house and hoping to find inspiration, but none came.
Then tragedy hit.
In 2018, William Wild’s next door neighbor was the victim of a drive-by shooting and died on his front lawn. It was at that point that William Wild decided he needed to make a change. So he moved out in December of 2018 and constructed a music studio.
William Wild’s new album – Push Ups – will be out on March 20th. Be sure to click on the links in this article to pre-order your copy!
In the new studio, William Wild decided that he just needed to push through and “finish the music”. The result is his new album – Push Ups – which is due to be released on March 20th. His single off the album – “Holy Ghost (where did my life go?)” – is out now.
THE PERFORMANCE
William Wild hit the stage at 9 p.m. This was supposed to be the start of a month long tour. Unfortunately, the coronavirus had other plans for live music for at least the next several weeks. So, the show Thursday night ended up being the first and last of the tour for William Wild.
Despite the disappointment of the tour being cut short, William Wild and the band put on a great show for the audience.
Despite the disappointment of not being able to tour, William Wild and his band gave the show everything they had! William Wild has an almost haunting voice, and his music gave me a feeling of calm in a time when I needed it most!
Other than making mention that this was the first and last show of the tour, William Wild didn’t spend a lot of time talking in between songs. He said he had a short amount of time (his set was around 45 minutes) and he wanted to get as much music in as possible.
William Wild kept the talking to a minimum during the show, in order to maximize the number of songs he played.
William Wild did introduce one song, that he said was an old song. He said that he had just learned it and was banking on having it down by night three of the tour. Since there was not going to be a night three, he gave it his all with just him and his guitar on night one. It was absolutely beautiful!
William Wild didn’t get a chance to perfect some of the songs he planned on over the course of the tour. But I thought they were all fantastic on night 1!
William Wild has some great range to his music. With different accompaniments from the keyboards to an electric guitar to an acoustic guitar, the music goes from slow and beautiful, to a nice slow groove.
When the stage is small, sometimes you have to sit to play the keyboard and stand to play the guitar!
As it is for many people, the next few months are going to be tough times for many musicians who rely on touring to get their music out there and make a living. William Wild is no exception. Please consider continuing to support your favorite artists by buying their music. Pre-order William Wild’s new album here.
While William Wild’s current tour has been cut short, I’m sure he’ll be back on the road as soon as he can. Keep checking his website here for new dates when everyone is able to get back on the road!
CITY OF THE SUN
ABOUT THE ARTIST
City of the Sun formed in NYC in 2011. The group initially consisted of guitarist John Pita and a vocalist. However, the vocalist quickly left the group and Pita was joined by guitarist Avi Snow in 2012. By 2013, the current trio was complete with the addition of percussionist Zach Para.
City of the Sun is an instrumental trio. They were joined on stage by a bass player during the show Thursday night.
City of the Sun got their start busking on the streets of New York. They got their initial break when they were invited to play at the 2013 TED Conference.
In 2014, City of the Sun released a live EP called Live at the Factory. They signed a record deal with Chesky Records in 2015 and released their first full length studio album – To the Sun and All the Cities in Between – in March of 2016.
In 2017, the band released UNTITLED EP, with it’s single “Firefly” debuting on the Billboard charts. The song “Perfect Instance” has been streamed over 24 million times on Spotify.
City of the Sun’s latest release – Chapter II – is out now.
THE PERFORMANCE
City of the Sun took the stage shortly after 10 p.m. I’m never sure how to feel about instrumental bands. There is something about having lyrics with a song that makes it easier for me personally to get into the music. But City of the Sun managed to pull the crowd in and kept me entertained throughout their set.
City of the Sun drew the crowd in with their energy, despite having no lyrics for the crowd to sing along too.
City of the Sun had great energy, and again, although disappointed that their tour was cut short, they still gave it their all!
City of the Sun is on the road through most of this month. Check out their website for upcoming tour dates.
I hope to see City of the Sun – and all musicians – out on the road again soon!
Have you heard of William Wild before? Are you someone that always catches the opener? Let us know! Comment below or e-mail me at tips2livebywriter@gmail.com.
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