Wilderado, an up-and-coming indie folk band based out of Tulsa, Okla. performed at the Basement East on Oct. 4. The band released a few EPs back in 2016 but what really got them jumpstarted was the release of their hit song “Surefire” with over 40 million streams. Since then, Wilderado has performed for Jimmy Kimmel on the Late Night Show and at the main stages of Lollapalooza, BottleRock and Austin City Limits. Now, Wilderado is touring in the fall with 11 tour dates.
To start off the night, Baseball Game, an alternative band from Los Angeles took the stage. Known for their songs “Miss You” and “Fall in Line,” they are currently working on new EPs and looking to sign with a record label. Baseball Game’s performance was promising, involving great skill and band synergy. They had an upbeat stage presence that appeared like they were masters.
The second opener for the show was Sego, an alternative punk rock band from Los Angeles. They are currently on their “USA Gas Mileage” tour, traveling across the major cities of the U.S. The band incorporated unique sounds through using shakers, tambourines and even a triangle. Their stage presence was intimidating at first but as they played the final song, the crowd was applauding.
Sego then introduced Wilderado, calling them “the sweet boys from Oklahoma.”
Soon after, the crowd began cheering as Wilderado took the stage in a nonchalant manner. The crowd whistled and chanted as they began their first song. Immediately, attention drew to the lead singer, Max Rainer’s, face as he was not here to mess around. He got right into the first song with no introduction. His chilled yet serious demeanor was in stark contrast to the bustling, enthusiastic crowd.
As the night went on, the band began to familiarize themselves with the crowd. They mentioned how their friends and family were in the audience, making this show special. They even called out one of their friends and said hello. This informal communication only further contributed to the chill vibes of the night. Rainer even mentioned how the band always gets nervous when playing in major cities such as Nashville, commenting that the audience is probably better at playing guitar than he was.
Halfway through the show the band played their major hit, “Surefire” from 2021. The song explores the communal idea of time and the inevitability of change. The lyrics suggest that the speaker senses that changes are coming, that things are shifting in the future and in the culture surrounding them. Because of its fame, this song was the biggest hit of the night and got almost the whole crowd singing along.
Wilderado’s song “Surefire” is an ode to their time with their original record label. They were dropped by the record company and still preserved their way to their greatest hit. They talked about how life doesn’t always go your way. That showed true testament to who they are as a band and gathered loud cheers from the crowd.
Wilderado’s friendly stage presence accompanied with their groovy, beachy rock music, created the perfect atmosphere for any indie listener. Wilderado is here to stay — be on the watch for more music in the near future.
