As the end of 2019 neared MisterWives set out on tour and I set out to cover them. I had only seen them once back in 2016 at BottleRock Napa so the idea of seeing them at a one off show excited me. When the year ended I hadn't been able to cover them and then it was 2020. And then COVID happened. And then in the Summer of 2020, MisterWives released their third album SUPERBLOOM. I hadn't realized in 2019 that they were gearing up to release a new album but looking back it makes sense as that's what one does in this biz.
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| MisterWivces @ The Regency Ballroom 11/23/2021 photo by Marc Fong |
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| MisterWives @ The Regency Ballroom 11/23/2021 photo by Marc Fong |
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| MisterWives @ The Regency Ballroom 11/23/2021 photo by Marc Fong |
Turns out a lot of songs by MisterWives follow the same theme: recognition that personal growth and change are hard, scary, lonely and that you are not alone through what can be a painful process. Most probably wouldn't know that's what the Indie-Pop band based out of NYC are all about from looking at their bight and cheery exterior but they are and it's refreshing.
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| MisterWives @ The Regency Ballroom 11/23/2021 photo by Marc Fong |
I went out on a limb and sent another request to cover them this time around.
Needless to say I was thrilled when I got an email back telling me I was approved to cover MisterWives' Really Really Ridiculously Resilient Little tour.
The show was on the eve of Thanksgiving eve, November 23rd: it was my first time being back at The Regency Ballroom since February 29th, 2020 to see Best Coast. Not much has changed other than needing to have proof of full COVID vaccination or a negative COVID test result. Masks are encouraged inside the venue but very few concert goers had masks on at this show which is unfortunately the case at most shows I've been to since shows have come back.
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| MisterWives @ The Regency Ballroom 11/23/2021 photo by Marc Fong |
The stage was set in SUPERBLOOM fashion with an array of eye catching colorful fake flowers everywhere. It's the same stage design they had when I saw them at BottleRock Napa 5 years ago, only there were a lot more fake flowers this time. "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers trickled out of the house PA system and as it grew louder than previous songs that played during the change over I was led to believe that MisterWives would take the stage once the millennial era anthem was over. The entire crowd sang along, myself included, after all we were breaking out of our (COVID) cage and (at the moment) we were feeling just fine.
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| MisterWives @ The Regency Ballroom 11/23/2021 photo by Marc Fong |
Sure enough MisterWives emerged after "Mr.Brightside" and the room bloomed with cheering happiness at the site of the headliners. The miss of MisterWives, Mandy Lee, was a sparkly seafoam green vision in a loose fitting cargo pant suit, energizing smile and beaming stage presence. They opened with "The End" which is the first song on SUPERBLOOM. Coincidentally, I had listened to the album while getting ready that night and thought it be clever if MisterWives started the show with "The End" in the air of every ending is a new beginning type of thing and they did! If people in the crowd weren't whole heartedly singing along they were joyously dancing to this one. It was one of if not the best received openings to a show I'd seen this year. That's a pretty big feat being that everyone is ecstatic for the main act at every show I've been to since the triumphant return of live music 4 months ago but MisterWives took the cake in my book. As far as I could see everyone had a smile painted across their face to match the leading lady's.
As the show went on the smiles stayed and MisterWives seemed to pick up steam: taking full advantage of the stage, commanding attention with their kinetic energy and color changing back drop. They were visibly having fun with each other while doing it, too which fans fed off of. It was an osmosis of good times.
Every song they played was well received no matter where in their three album catalog it came from and they played at least one song from each of their albums. Lee delivered a sweet message of dreaming about this tour for last two years and about everyone there being there, alive and well.
She also mentioned how the backbends she did with her band mates hurt when she does them now as opposed to two years so she might have to stop doing them.
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| MisterWives @ The Regency Ballroom 11/23/2021 photo by Marc Fong |
Surprisingly "Superbloom" did not close the show but was the second to last song ahead of "Our Own House" the title track off of their 2015 debut album.
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| MisterWives @ The Regency Ballroom 11/23/2021 photo by Marc Fong |
My goal was to get this review posted a lot sooner than I did but maybe the universe had other plans.
As I typed up the review of their show, yesterday afternoon MisterWives announced that due to some of them testing positive for COVID they have to reschedule their upcoming shows in Washington DC, Boston and New York until January.
Live music is back but COVID is still out there, we are still in a pandemic. Even if you're fully vaccinated, wearing a mask indoors and getting tested regularly is not only important for your own health but the health and safety of everyone. You can still get COVID if you're vaccinated and you can spread it.
Well wishes to MisterWives for a speedy recovery, I feel your pain.
Thank you for risking your health to bring a night of uplifting vibes to San Francisco.
MisterWives set-list 11/23/2021
1. The End
2. Ghost
3. Box Around the Sun
4. whywhywhy
5. Rock Bottom
6. Coming Up For Air
7. Alone
8. Valentine's Day
9. Rainbow
10. It's My Turn
11. Find My Way Home
12. Running In Place
13. Decide To Be Happy
14. Love Me True
15. Coloring Outside The Lines
16. 3 Small Words
17. Muse
18. Reflections
19. Superbloom
20. Our Own House
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