Wye Oak Live at the Lodge Room, Highland Park

The Lodge Room, nestled in the vibrant community of Highland Park in Los Angeles, hosted a night of with talented musicians, Madeline Kenney and Wye Oak. Built in 1922 as the Highland Park Masonic Temple, Lodge Room has been preserved and updated as a music venue with timeless architecture and modern décor.

At 9:00 p.m., the Oakland-based trio Madeline Kenney took the stage. They performed dreamy indie-rock with intricate drumming and belting vocals. Wye Oak singer Jenn Wasner sat in on bass, and they premiered some new songs including the syncopated “Cut Me Off.”

Promptly at 10:00 p.m. Wye Oak took the stage. They opened with the first track, “Tuning” off their latest album, The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs. The Lode Room was packed in with fans who were instantly transfixed as singer Jenn Wasner’s warm voice permeated throughout the room. Wasner addressed the crowd, “people of L.A.!” who responded with cheers. She shared that they’d be playing songs from their new album, and that these new songs are “about staying alive,” which is truly evident in songs like “Lifer” with lyrics like “I don’t know why some suffer so / And others never fear to go.” “Lifer” had an unexpected screeching guitar “solo” in the middle of the verses, but ended as softly as it started. She switched between guitar and keys throughout their set for songs like “It Was Not Natural” and more synth-forward tracks like “Shriek” and “Spiral.”

“How are you guys? I can see you moving!” Wasner shared. “I’ve consumed more whiskey this evening than I have all year,” she joked with the crowd, who ate up her charm and relatability. She also shared that the band would be on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic the next morning, inviting everyone to tune in. The crowd sang along to their cover of Joni Mitchell’s “Coyote.” Their set ended with the title track off their latest album, “The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs.” It was a night of warm, soulful music on a warm day in L.A.

Setlist:

1. (Tuning)
2. The Instrument
3. Lifer
4. It Was Not Natural
5. Shriek
6. Spiral
7. Say Hello
8. You of All People
9. Glory
10. Holy Holy
11. Before
12. Watching the Waiting
13. Coyote (Joni Mitchell cover)
14. The Tower
15. Civilian
16. I Know It’s Real
17. The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs