Hot, Sweaty, Fun- Inner Wave Concert

Show Lineup: Junior Mesa, Jordana, Inner Wave Genre(s): alternative Venue: Hotel Congress Date: 02/18/2023

The smell of mango juul pods, marijuana, and body odor filled the cramped floor of Hotel Congress. I knew the music would be good. I arrived at around 6 pm, and the first performance did not start until a little after 7 pm. My legs were already tired from standing, but I was hopeful it would be worth it.

The first band to open was Junior Mesa. I had never heard their music before, but I really enjoyed it. It was very much alternative rock and it made me feel like an indie main character. By this point, the venue was not too full, so I got to have fun and vibe to the music. I definitely will be listening to Junior Mesa more because I really like the vibes of the music and the guitar.

The next artist was Jordana, who I also had never listened to before. I had heard her before in some TV Girl songs, but I had not listened to her as a solo artist. I really loved her voice and her music had a cute alternative sound that was very enjoyable to listen to. By this point, the venue was getting pretty crowded and there was not much good ventilation going on. A person ended up passing out which was a bit scary. Jordana stopped playing and stopped the band to check on the person who had passed out. The other person they were with took them out of the venue as the crowded space parted to let them out. Jordana then made sure that everyone was drinking water and staying hydrated, which I thought was nice. I highly enjoyed her music and she definitely gained a new fan.

The main event of the concert was Inner Wave. The reason I bought a ticket to begin with was to see them. My sister got really into them over the summer, and by proxy, I got into them as well. I heard a life performance of theirs, so I knew that they would sound great. I was extremely excited to see them perform live, even though I had to wait over 3 and a half hours. The anticipation was killing me, but the two openers were so good that it felt like I saw three separate concerts! Inner Wave had a great performance, however I was disappointed that I did not hear all my personal favorite songs, but of course that would be asking a lot. Diamond eyes is one of my favorites, which they played, and then in their encore they played the very popular, 142. I was surprised because I expected them to play 142 in the original set because of its popularity, but it was a nice surprise that they played it at the end of the concert. They also performed a sweet cover of Al Green's Let's Stay Together, which I just adored. Overall, they had a great performance.

The only cons were that the venue was quite small for the number of people there. It was incredibly and uncomfortably cramped and it was very hot. They eventually opened a door to circulate some air, which definitely helped, but it still felt unsafely packed. I was right up against a bunch of strangers, which made it hard to move. I think the concert would have been more enjoyable if there was a bit more space. Other than that, it was a fun time. I enjoyed myself and found two new artists to listen to! I would definitely see Inner Wave again if they came to Tucson sometime in the future.

Reviewer Name: Therese Peralta Date of Review: 02/22/2023