Country-rocker Wilder Woods took the stage today with a much more ornate setup than your typical Free At Noon guest: a velvety curtain, a glowing letter W, pulsing backing lights and a six-piece band. The stadium-ready production made sense when you considered that Wilder Woods is headlining World Cafe Live tonight; he and his bandmates just got an earlier start to their day and, to borrow a phrase from our Assistant Program Director Jim McGuinn, a very nice soundcheck for tonight.
Showcasing the record Fever / Sky, out now on Dualtone Records, Wilder Woods danced through rootsy anthems (“Go Ahead”), simmering country ballads (“Be Yourself”) and soul barn-burners (“Maestro”) with charisma and a chummy rapport with fans up front who got an early spot for the show, waving records and capturing cell phone videos. His self-titled 2019 debut was also aired out with performances of “Sure Ain’t,” “Mary You’re Wrong,” and “Supply and Demand.”
Listen to the set below, and get tickets and more information on Wilder Woods’ World Cafe Live show tonight at WXPN’s Concerts and Events page. His tour continues Saturday at The Sinclair in Cambridge, Massachusetts; full dates here.