Oh Wonder amazes audience in sold-out show

On Sept. 28, 2015, Oh Wonder performed their first-ever American show to a crowd of just under 250 people. Exactly one year later, the duo performed a sold-out show Wednesday at The Wiltern to a crowd of over 2,300.

It is crazy the difference a year can make — that was a big theme of the show. Duo Josephine Vander Gucht and Anthony West thanked the crowd at least half a dozen times during the set for everyone’s support. While Oh Wonder’s relative unfamiliarity with the scene was obvious, it added a certain charm to the show.

By opening with “Livewire,” then quickly moving onto “Dazzle,” Oh Wonder snagged the crowd’s attention quickly after an underwhelming opening act by Kevin Garrett.

While Garrett had considerable musical talent, his performance, which consisted of him standing adjacent to the audience playing a keyboard, left much to be desired. People in the crowd, who were clearly there to see the headliner, shuffled around on their phones during his 20-minute opener.

In comparison, Oh Wonder’s first two tracks immediately caught the audience’s attention. After each song, Vander Gucht giggled into the microphone and beamed smiles out at the crowd. 

She was ecstatic to be playing throughout the entire set. This happiness and excitement was reinforced by the speech she gave after the next two songs, “Lose It” and “Shark.”

“You are all very special,” she said. “There are tiny seeds of magic inside all of you. From small goals to massive adventures, anything is possible.”

Unfortunately, the girlish charm that made Vander Gucht so likeable didn’t work the same with West. He spoke once during the show, after their next song, “Without You.” West sounded slightly exhausted, but perhaps he was a little shy.

After performing a variety of their most popular songs during these first half of the show, Oh Wonder slid into a bit of a rut. “All We Do,” “Landslide” and “Plans,” came next, and the crowd’s energy began to wane. 

The pair’s performance of the three songs were good, but should have been spaced between other high-energy songs to keep the audience more engaged.

The Wiltern’s architecture and high ceilings were a beautiful setting for the show — and the set design on stage didn’t try to compete. Large, LED letters that spelled out the duo’s abbreviation “OW” stood behind the two singers, while five vertical light poles were spaced on either side of the stage. While the lights created a cool photo opp, it also allowed for the audience to place more focus on the duo’s music.

Then, the musicians had a surprise up their sleeve — a never-before-heard song. The unnamed ballad was slow and emotional, about the pains of leaving friends and family to travel and tour around the world.

“All my friends … can I beat within your heart?” Vander Gucht and West sang.

And, perhaps as a testament to how loyal their fanbase is, shushes ran through the audience as everyone listened (and attempted to record) the brand new song.

Afterward, Oh Wonder performed “Heart Hope,” “Body Gold” and “Drive,” which they claimed were their last three songs of the night. But the audience wasn’t ready for the duo to leave, and they weren’t one to leave its fans disappointed.

After a dramatic pause, Vander Gucht and West popped back onstage for a double encore of “Midnight Moon” and “Technicolour Beat.”

During “Mightnight Moon,” a confetti cannon went off, the floor-rumbling bass beat of “Technicolor Beat,” coupled with the heartbeat-imitating lights made it an ending to remember, even if overall the show lacked an interesting stage design.

Oh Wonder didn’t need gimmicks to carry themselves. The music talent held by both members — who played keyboard in addition to singing for the entire show — was evident. The music was by far the most important element of the show, and it was beautifully performed  in a concert hall with amazing acoustics.