Ashley King, Arcurrent

Photo Credit: Bryce Fraser
Matthew Muphy lead singer and guitarist, and tord Øverland Knudsen, Bass guitar, of the Wombats who preformed at the The Blue Lamp, in Sacramento, Ca on October 3.

October 10, 2012

If The Killers, Kooks and Beach Boys had too much sangria, they might wind up nine months later with a mystery love child named the Wombats.  On Oct. 4, The Wombats brought their brothers from across the pond, Morning Parade, and sold out Blue Lamp in Midtown Sacramento.

When the Liverpool trio took the stage, every hand went up to clap eerily in beat. Even the baby boomers with their Bloody Marys in hand stood up. It was much like stepping into church and not knowing any of the hymns, but being moved by the energy in the room. From the moment lead vocalist Matthew Murphy opened his mouth, the audience was enraptured, swaying and singing every word.

The show was a comfortable reflection of their studio work. Their vocals were on point despite being thrown against the awkward acoustics of the venue. Their songs didn’t pull at any heartstrings. Instead they inspired a, “who cares? Let’s just dance” type of energy. Beach-y background vocals included such inspiring lyrics as “ooh” and “wah” They were perfect tunes for solo dancing or reading a book at the ocean.

The slowest song in their set, “Champagne,” hinted their ties to The Beatles (all members attended Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts). The song was in a bright happy key, one that made feet tap unconsciously. Also Beatles-esque were their front row fans. Girls were screaming and crying while pressed up against the stage, reaching for the drops of sweat that fell from Murphy’s deflated white-guy fro.

If this concert had occurred seven years earlier, they would have had a guest staring roll on The O.C. I would have loaded The Wombats on my iPod Photo and rocked it out in my Head Automatica/Fall Out Boy playlist.  Which makes sense, considering they first made their impact in the emo-birthed alternative boom in 2007.

Highlights of the evening included their creeper U.S. hit “Jump Into the Fog,” and crowd pleaser “Girls/Fast Cars.” Also worth mentioning was their opener, Morning Parade. They were incredibly talented with beautifully accurate vocals.

The band charmed the pants off of the crowd, telling inappropriate Beyoncé jokes and connecting with locals with deep sentiments such as, “we had a nice walk through Capital Park. There’s some nice trees there.” Oh Wombats, you leave your Sacramento followers with a happily exhausted “awe” filled experience.