In The Loop Magazine Wet Leg Delivers a Knockout Performance at The Vic For Opening Lollapalooza After Show Events Even If the Visuals Missed the Mark

Wet Leg Delivers a Knockout Performance at The Vic For Opening Lollapalooza After Show Events Even If the Visuals Missed the Mark

Jul 30, 2026 admin_bitlc Features, Music News, Reviews 0

By James Currie

With five days of Lollapalooza concerts, aftershows, and special events taking over Chicago, there was no shortage of big names and difficult choices. Still, Wet Leg’s opening-night Lollapalooza Aftershow at The Vic Theatre stood out as one of the week’s most anticipated and I’m sure one of its most memorable concerts.

The British indie-rock favorites are scheduled to perform at Lollapalooza in Grant Park on Thursday, July 30, giving fans who missed the intimate club show another opportunity to catch them. But seeing Wet Leg inside The Vic was a different experience altogether. The sold out, close quarters, packed floor, and immediate connection between the band and audience created the kind of energy that is difficult to reproduce on a massive festival stage. Even compared to their last show in town at the Salt Shed, this was personal and one I was very much looking forward too.

Chicago has also been fortunate to see Wet Leg return with increasing regularity. For a band that has quickly grown from an exciting new discovery into an internationally recognized live act, their willingness to keep coming back through town has become a genuine treat. Each visit feels less like a rare opportunity and more like the beginning of a welcome relationship with the city.

Before Wet Leg took the stage, local Chicago transplants, SMUT – via Cincinnati – opened the evening and received a warm, enthusiastic response from the growing crowd. Front woman Tay Roebuck took a moment to acknowledge the difficult stretch Chicago had recently endured. “How’s everybody doing? It’s been really bad out there for Chicago lately. So many things want to kill or hurt us like wildfire smoke, salad and floods. Let’s hope that’s all behind us now and we can enjoy the night.” The unusual combination of threats drew laughs, but the sentiment landed. After days of unpredictable weather and a rough stretch for the city, the crowd seemed more than ready to leave the outside world behind and enjoy a night of loud music.

Following roughly a half-hour intermission, Wet Leg emerged with fists raised and immediately knocked the audience backward with a one-two punch from “Catch These Fists.” A show opening standard as of late. It’s an aggressive, confident opening that set the tone for the rest of the night. The band sounded incredible, tight, loud, energetic, and fully in command of the room.

Unfortunately, what the audience heard and what they could actually see were two very different experiences.

The stage production was dominated by thick smoke and relentless white strobe lights. Rather than creating atmosphere or highlighting the performers, the visuals often reduced the entire stage to a washed-out blur of gray and white. At times, it was nearly impossible to make out the band.

Occasionally, Rhian Teasdale’s neon-green fluid guitar cut through the haze, glowing like a bright streak of color in an otherwise colorless scene, but there was little else to focus on. We know about Hester Chambers dislike of being in front of the camera, or even in the limelight at all, but this coverage seemed especially ominous.

The strobes were also more than just a visual distraction. A woman standing nearby me eventually had to leave because the lights became too overwhelming. Whether the washed-out look was an intentional artistic choice or simply a production decision that did not translate well inside The Vic, the result was difficult to ignore. Wet Leg sounded fantastic, but visually, the show never quite worked as you could make out audience grumbles like, “Enough with the smoke already we get it!”. That was especially disappointing because the band’s performance deserves to be seen as clearly as heard.

The set continued with one crowd favorite after another, including “Wet Dream,” “Ur Mum,” which was met with a long and very loud crowd scream, and “pokemon.” Each song brought another surge of energy from the packed room, with the audience singing along and responding to every familiar riff. Wet Leg’s music has always balanced dry humor, sharp lyrics, infectious hooks, and noisy guitar-driven chaos, and those elements translated perfectly in the intimate theater.

The momentum continued into the breakout hit “Chaise Longue,” although the performance was briefly interrupted by a technical difficulty. The moment could have stalled the show, but the band regrouped quickly and pushed forward without losing the crowd. If anything, the small hiccup made the performance feel even more immediate and human.

Wet Leg closed the night with “CPR” before finishing with “mangetout,” sending the audience back into the Chicago night energized and ready for the rest of Lollapalooza week.

Despite the frustrating visuals, the music itself was outstanding. Wet Leg delivered the kind of powerful, tightly played set that reminded everyone why they have become one of the most exciting bands to emerge in recent years. The sound was huge, the songs connected, and the crowd remained fully engaged from the opening punch of “Catch These Fists” through the final notes of “mangetout.”

For those who missed the show at The Vic, there is another chance to see Wet Leg on Thursday at Lollapalooza in Grant Park. The festival performance may not offer the same intimate, packed-club atmosphere, but it will give fans another opportunity to experience one of the week’s most anticipated acts. And perhaps, under the open sky of Grant Park, everyone will finally get a better look at them.

For more on Wet Leg, click here

For more on SMUT, click here

For more on Lollapalooza, click here

For photos from the show, Wet Leg, click here

For photos from the show, SMUT, click here