Wilmah Rings New York's Doorbell?

Wilmah played a headlining show at Heaven Can Wait in NYC with the anticipation of their next EP. The band has been releasing music since 2021 and is hoping to change their sound in the upcoming releases. If you want to learn more about the band check out Emily Freeland's review on their latest release here! Nonetheless, the pop/indie/genre-bending band is bringing new light to NYC’s music scene!

Opener Walter The Producer, took on the stage first and did not disappoint. As a Walter The Producer fan, I absolutely loved the set. Walter combines a mix of alternative and indie that itches my brain in all the right ways. I honestly think that there is no other sound right now that is as complex and multifaceted as Walter’s discography. I might have been the only one completely fan-girling, but the crowd awoke once he played a few songs. I, of course, sang every song that was played and even got a laugh out of Walter because of it. Walter ended his set with a loud cheer and applause from the crowd.

The second opener of the night, completely took me by surprise. I had never heard of the band SAVOIA, and I am so shocked I haven’t heard of them sooner. In all aspects, they were complete rock stars! The outfits, the sound, and the energy were completely unlike anything I had seen. I had never heard a song before that night, but I found myself jumping around and singing the chorus. The best part of the night was noticing some die-hard fans in the crowd that knew every word! One fan, in particular, was even given the chance to sing into the microphone when lead singer Lucas Allan passed the microphone to them and allowed them to scream back the lyrics to him. SAVOIA definitely warmed up the crowd for the main act and even made me a newfound fan of their sound in the process.

Finally, the boys went on stage, and the crowd went ravenous. I have been to many local NYC shows, but it was like I stepped into a cult session, in the best way possible. Every person there knew all the lyrics to the songs and really brought the energy. For me, a crowd allows not only for a fun night, but it just heightens the overall performance of an artist. It is so much fun to see artists break those first song jitters and really get comfortable when the crowd is matching or even bringing more energy than them! Wilmah is known for their pop, which I am not very accustomed to, but they put on an out-of-this-world performance that completely shatters that genre.

The stage at the venue was small, but they made sure to use every single inch available to create magic. The band consisted of two guitarists Dallas Wax on lead and Matt Connolly, the lead singer. In addition, Will O’Connor was on bass, and Walter Ferguson was on drums. The band really molded and came together like every note and lyric was meant to be played by them and only them. One would think with so many instruments in play that, one would overpower the other, but it was the opposite; each instrument had its spotlight, whether it was a solo or lead, but when all played at once, it created a transcendent melody that had every single person jumping around. Unreleased songs were revealed and played and really highlighted the new sound they are accomplishing with their next EP.

A highlight of the night for me was when Matt came off stage after he noticed the crowd starting to mosh during the last song and started to mosh with them off-stage as he and the band continued to play! Not a single person in the venue was left not covered in sweat and adrenaline dripping off of them. I hadn’t attended or seen a night like that in over a year, and reminded me so much of how powerful music can be. I had an absolute blast, and I am very grateful to Wilmah, and their team, for allowing me to relish such an important night. We are so excited to see what the boys put out next and cannot wait to see them perform again! Connect with Wilmah here.