Alvvays Blast Through the Doors of The Sylvee (Madison, WI) [Photos]

Alvvays kicked off their US Spring Tour this April in the Midwest. The lucky fans of Madison, Wisconsin, were very happy to see their name on the bill at one of the best venues in town. Molly Rankin and her gang blasted through the doors of the Sylvee as they were ready to touch the hearts of the fine folk in Mad Town. The last time they were through town, they played at Shannon Hall on the campus of The University of Wisconsin. Molly told the fans last night she needed to redeem herself from that last appearance. She told us that she felt a little off after returning from the UK and playing at a school auditorium. The crowd disagreed but what came next was something nobody complained about.

Before 2022, the world was already filled with beautiful Alvvays records. But then, on October 7th, the band shocked everyone as they released their first album in 5 years and added Blue Rev to their discography. Since then, they’ve been touring the wondrous songs of the album at every stop along the way. In fact, at the Sylvee on Wednesday night, we got every single song off of the album. They didn’t play it front to back, but along the way, it was all played. One of my favorites was the opener “Easy on Your Own?” As the night carried on, we got other great tracks like “Velveteen,” “Belinda Says,” and a set closer and second favorite, “Lottery Noises.”

They, of course, played everybody’s favorites like “Dreams Tonite” and “Archie, Marry Me” in the middle of the show. But then, as all good things need to come to an end, Alvvays walked off stage and prepared for their encore. The last songs were ones everybody will remember. A three-song closer was one hit after the next. A unique moment came as Molly asked the crowd what they wanted to hear last. Once they started playing “Next of Kin,” the whole building roared as that’s exactly what they wanted.

Alvvays truly struck gold with their latest album. All listeners have something to be happy about as they hear the distinctive vocals and wavy guitar throughout Blue Rev. It doesn’t hinder far from what everybody loves about this band, but it also tests the limits of what they can do. Alvvays continues on tour and if you’re smart, you’ll jump at the opportunity to hear this fantastic band live.

Alvvays @ The Sylvee (Madison, WI) on April 24, 2024

11 photos