Wet fills Varsity Theater with cool vibes
Maddie Diemert
News Editor
American indie pop band Wet preformed a captivating show on Friday, March 15 at Varsity Theater in Minneapolis.
The Brooklyn-based band performed an hour-long, 15-song concert for a crowd that filled up the entire venue and packed themselves in tightly around the stage for a glimpse of lead singer, Kelly Zutrau. Zutrau and her band also shared the stage with California’s Hana Vu and Florida’s Kilo Kish.
Hana Vu performed a short, 25-minute set entirely by herself. The 18-year-old accompanied her unique, textured voice with an electric guitar and heavy bass from a synth board. The singer emitted jazzy tunes and a sultry sound that instantly captivated the audience.
Vu, who has been releasing music dating back to 2014, performed several songs from “Crying in the Subway” to “Queen of High School.” Before she ended her set, she thanked the audience from coming out and finished off with “Team.”
Kilo Kish, formally known as Lakisha Kimberly Robinson, played an hour-long set, considering the indie artist just released her first studio album in 2016, titled “Reflections in the Real.” The 28-year-old entered the stage in almost complete darkness, save for a few dim lights flashing behind her.
Kish gave off an ethereal presence as she walked to the front of the stage, her long legs donned in green-blue tights and her dress sparkling from the ever-changing color of the lights.
Like Vu, Kish’s set was backed heavily by bass and synth beats, sending vibrations throughout the venue. Kish performed almost her whole set before addressing the crowd and introducing herself. She finished with a wave to the crowd and thanked concertgoers and ran offstage.
A heavy silence filled the crowd before Wet’s set and the whole venue was pitched into darkness. Fog settled over the audience’s heads and a projection started to play on a white curtain facing the crowd. The images flickered, unintelligible as the band began to set up their equipment and soundcheck.
Zutrau slowly walked on stage, barefoot in a white, sequined jumpsuit. She took her place in the middle of the stage as the lights flickered and shined down on her. Zutrau had a somber look on her face as she began with “11 Hours,” which is featured on Wet’s latest album, “Don’t You”.
Zutrau’s voice floated through the atmosphere and lingered, her lilting hitting all the right spots. She continued with a song from her self-titled debut album, “Deadwater.” The crowd swayed around Zutrau’s figure, singing out the words to every song, their voices echoing hers.
As the band played songs from both albums, there was a sort of connection they bonded with the audience. Zutrau stared out into the eyes of the fans before her, begging them to understand. Their applause was confirmation enough that they were indeed with her.
Fans were also treated to two autoharp acoustic version of the songs “Still Run” and “All the Ways” and were succeeded by “Softens” and “You’re the Best,” which closed the show. Before exiting the stage, Kelly invited fans to the merch table near the entrance of the venue, promising them pictures, autographs, and kind words.
Photos by Mansoor Ahmad | MSU Reporter.