A Night with spill tab and the Wallows at San Francisco's The Warfield

One of the greatest milestones on the journey to becoming a true music addict is “The Pilgrimage.” The so-called “Pilgrimage” is when a fan purposely takes a multi-hour trip via car or plane to a location hundreds of miles from their hometown merely to see an artist in concert. Extra points go to those addicts who attend multiple stops on an artists’ tour. Even more points are awarded to those who do what I did this weekend: ignore the fact that I live in Los Angeles, one of the biggest music cities in the world and a nearly guaranteed tour stop for any major band in the world to see two performers in San Francisco because “why not?”

On Thursday, April 7th, I flew from Los Angeles to San Francisco to see spill tab open for The Wallows at the famous Warfield theater. I spent the day exploring the city with one of my dearest friends, then took her along with me to see one of our favorite bands from our high school days.

As far as our San Francisco excursions were, we were running incredibly late to the show. We ended up stepping through the doors right as spill tab was starting her first song. The theater was awash in pink light, creating a sensual, mystical vibe to accompany her performance. When I saw her back in 2021, spill tab’s performance gave off a more traditional indie rocker vibe. But at the Warfield, with her Doja-Cat-esq mesh shirt bikini combo, flowing wavey hair, and danceable club pop sound, she was giving pure pop star energy.

Throughout the evening, spill tab exhibited peak Gen-Z behavior. While joking with the audience, she would sometimes slip into a fake British accent, something I do with my friends on a regular basis. She noted that her first EP is called Oatmilk because she is “super fucking lactose intolerant.” She also went on a solid 3-minute long Love Island rant but the most iconic thing she did all night, in regards to Gen-Z behavior at least, was her soft, crooning cover of Usher’s iconic “Yeah” featuring Little John and Ludacris on the original. She turned one of the most ridiculous club tracks ever into a truly sensual experience.

Earlier in the night, she played a cover of Kelly Clarkson’s “Since You Been Gone.” Growing up, I always considered the song to be an empowering banger. spill tab’s rendition was slower, more lyrical. She transformed the song into a heartfelt lament, focusing more on the pain of heartbreak instead of the anger of it. It was an exceedingly powerful rendition that completely altered my perception of the song.

The crowd at the Warfield that night was truly the nicest and most enthusiastic bunch I’ve encountered at a show yet. During the break between spill tab and Wallows, several groups of fans came up to my friend and I to chat about whatever. Several people, seeing that I knew all the words to spill tab’s songs, asked me if I knew who she was. It was a true testament to how brilliant spill tab was during her set as well as how eager, open, and excited the crowd was throughout. We talked boy drama with two girls who had recently graduated college. We helped a group of boys maneuver their way to the front row (they failed, but they made a valiant effort).

I swear my ears are still ringing from the screams that erupted from the crowd when Wallows members Dylan Minette, Braedan Lemasters, and Cole Preston jogged onstage. They jumped right into “I Don’t Want To Talk” the hit song from their newest album Tell Me That It’s Over. A second wave of overwhelming screams from the crowd erupted immediately as the guys began to play. Throughout the song, the audience was passing small latex balloons across the floor, turning the pit at the Warfield into a festival ground. Several fans even brought flowers for the boys. Fans passed them forward during the song and handed them to a very surprised yet grateful Lemasters.

One of my favorite things about Wallows’ music is their eclectic production style. In their recordings, they use all sorts of strange sounds and unique instruments to build their unique and playful sound. They brought all of this playfulness and eccentricity to their performance. One of my favorite parts of the night was Minette’s ripping harmonica solo. Never in my life have I seen people go so feral for a man in a sweater vest with a harmonica.

The night felt like a true family affair. Regrettes’s lead singer and Dylan Minette’s rock-star girlfriend Lydia Knight popped onstage for a song as an added treat to the night. One fan passed a hand-made crochet bucket hat with Shrek ears to the stage which was immediately snatched up by Lemasters. He ended up wearing the hat throughout the entirety of the band’s biggest smash-hit “Are You Bored Yet.” Every once in a while throughout the show, the guys in the band would wander over to each other to give a quick hug or sing a phrase with their arm slung around their bandmate’s shoulder. I saw many fans in the audience holding their friends in the same loving way.