MisterWives is a band you sing along to and it’s something they clearly pride themselves in. We checked them out at their concert at Terminal 5 on Nov. 6.
Early on in the the show they encourage the crowd to shout the lyrics back at them, sometimes making sure the crowd knows exactly how the “oohs” go before even starting the song.
That pop performance meshes well with their whimsical, indie approach to music. Before they even take the stage “Pure Imagination” from Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory plays in the darkness. Their upbeat, catchy tunes are backed up by instrumentals laced with not only electric guitar, but a saxophone and trumpet, clear in their opener “Best I Can Do.”
Mandy Lee fronts with an easy to listen to voice, unusual for pop music, but doesn’t falter, hitting and holding each note in “Oceans.” Despite being a softer song, she keeps an intensity in her demeanor, as if she’s pouring her love into each and every moment.
That intensity is felt throughout the band. They jump on to their platforms, adorned with vines and leaves, and run around with abandon. Before starting feminist anthem “Not Your Way,” Lee gives a speech about society’s standards for men and women being nonsense, while doing push ups.
MisterWives’ bold and fun loving attitude accompanies the bands feeling of awe throughout the concert. It’s their homecoming performance, yet they all seem like they can’t believe they’re there at a sold out venue. In a special moment the band is joined by students from Lee’s former high school to sing “Queens.” Lee dedicated the song to her family, and it was hard to distinguish who was singing during the entire performance. Was it the band, the chorus or the fans?
The mood is livened by a cover of “I Can’t Feel My Face” by The Weeknd mashed with “PYT” by Michael Jackson, and during the encore, their rendition of “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” by Whitney Houston. Lee declares that that ‘somebody’ is her fans, inviting the chorus and someone from the crowd to come on stage and dance with them.
The entire performance felt like a celebration of how far the band has come in their three years together. They have a strong command over their performance and the message they want to put out without without losing their humanizing charm.
MisterWives debut album Our Own House is available for purchase now.
