Coming down from a performance at the annual Governor’s Ball in New York City, Wallows made a stop in Bridgeport, Connecticut on June 8, 2025, where I had the honor of photographing and watching their performance.

The Los Angeles-based band consists of Dylan Minnette, Braeden Lemasters and Cole Preston. They began releasing music independently in 2017, and have grown exponentially since then. Their most popular song is “Are You Bored Yet?” which has over 1 billion streams on Spotify. 

Today, they have played sold-out stadium shows and at some of the largest music festivals in the United States including Lollapalooza, Coachella and more. This concert marked the tail end of the “Model and More” tour, which highlighted their most recent album, “Model,” and EP, “More” releases. 

When we entered the venue, we were surrounded by a sea of teenage-to-twenty-something girls dressed head-to-toe in Wallows merchandise or niche references to the band’s extensive history. My favorite outfit of the night had to go to a girl dressed in a pumpkin costume, paying homage to a heavily referenced and memed-upon picture of Minette.

As the house lights dimmed and the sun set over the amphitheater, the opener, Porches, took the stage. From Pleasantville, New York, this synth-pop project headed by Aaron Maine was a perfect set to warm up the crowd. Maine’s vocals were very similar to Minette and Lemaster’s, which made the transition from opener to main act seamless. My favorite song from their set was “rangerover” from their 2020 release “Ricky Music.” 

After Porches exited the stage, I met up with the other photographers attending the show. While we exchanged socials and earplugs, the house lights dimmed once more, and a massive sheet with a large printed “WALLOWS” logo covered the stage, much to the audience’s excitement. 

As I got into position, the stage lights behind the curtain switched on, making the trio appear as silhouettes against the curtain. The crowd went nuts upon seeing their shadows, and I too couldn’t help but get swept up in the growing anticipation.

As the crowd’s cheers raged on, the drone of a synthesizer overpowered it as Minette’s voice broke through, singing the intro to “Do Not Wait,” the final track of their first album “Nothing Happens.” The drums amped up as the lights flickered, causing the band’s silhouettes to dance sporadically across the sheet. Suddenly, as all the instruments crescendoed, the curtain dropped as the intro to “Your Apartment” began. 

For their first four songs, they seamlessly transitioned between “Do Not Wait,” “Your Apartment,” “Anytime, Always” and “Scrawny” to create a fast-paced abridged intro to their set that got fans dancing and singing along. 

As a long-time fan, this wasn’t my first time seeing Wallows, as I saw them in 2022 at Terminal 5 in Manhattan. However, this was my first time visiting the Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater, which Preston complimented early into the show. The luxurious amphitheater was constructed five years ago and has hosted big names including Noah Kahan, Metro Boomin, Niall Horan and more. 

Not only did the boys shout out the amphitheater, but they also praised the greater New Haven and Bridgeport area itself, saying “We’ve never performed at a venue like this, and the train tracks are right there. We’ll be grabbing pizza after the show.” Writing this now, it makes me wonder which famous New Haven pizza joint they stopped at. 

As the night went on, Wallows continued to play more new and old hits alike, including ”Quarterback”, ”Bad Dream”, “Coffin Change”, and “Uncomfortable.” All the tracks displayed Wallows’ refined sound and synchronization they have built over their seven-year-long career. I was content with this setlist and assumed the show would be just like the performances I had attended in the past. However, that all changed when they began playing “She’s an Actress”. 

To our surprise, Minette hopped down from the stage and began walking through the audience while singing the aforementioned song as Lemasters and Preston continued playing on stage (for the time being). 

As Minette was absorbed into the pit, the rest of the crowd buzzed with excitement and astonishment. Natalie and I got swept up in the energy, frantically scanning the pit trying to catch a glimpse of him. The only way to keep track of Minette in the crowd was to look for the circle of phone flashlights illuminating him. 

To our surprise, Lemasters and Preston had also left the stage without us noticing. As we turned around to check the stage, we watched them walk right past us, instruments in hand, heading towards the small B stage located at the back of the amphitheater.

After we shook off the gaping looks on our faces, we and the rest of the audience rushed to the B stage and watched the trio perform a more intimate acoustic set. The whole time, I was trembling with excitement, as this was the closest I had ever been to one of my favorite artists (without a camera in hand). 

During this acoustic set, Wallows performed classics like “Pictures of Girls” and “That’s What I Get.” After the acoustic portion wrapped up, the boys once again hopped off the platform and walked through the audience to get back to the main stage.

Despite this being the second time they passed through the audience during this show, the noise of the crowd somehow doubled. I was lucky enough to be standing right next to Minette as he walked by and secured several incredible videos of him playing past me. 

Even though we were nearing the end of the performance, the energy was at an all-time high. Wallows finished their set with some of their most popular hits, including “Pleaser,” “Are You Bored Yet?” and ending with “Only Friend.” In my opinion, “Only Friend” was the perfect song to end the show, since it’s the first track on “Nothing Happens,” while the opening song for the concert, “Do Not Wait” is the final track off that album. As they closed out their performance, the trio thanked us, claiming this show was one of their favorites on the tour. 

Walking out of the venue, the only thought running through my head was, “How was any of that real?” In the best way possible, that show felt like a fever dream consisting of fan interactions and my favorite Wallows songs. I have never been to a concert or venue quite like this one, and because of that, it has become my favorite concert I have ever been to. Overall, it was an unforgettable experience that I will be talking about for years to come.