Staff Editor on May 25th, 2019

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The hometown love was in full bloom at the Fonda Theatre on Thursday night with L.A. natives Wallows packing the house to the brim.

Early in the set, drummer Cole Preston asked the crowd if anyone was from “The Valley” — and with a roar from the crowd Preston declared his Van Nuys upbringing. Further amplifying the band’s star power, lead singer Dylan Minnette has a starring role in the television drama “13 Reasons Why,” which precipitated a night of Beatles-esque devoted fan shoutouts of “I love you’s” from the crowd throughout their set. During “Are You Bored Yet?” off their first full-length, “Nothing Happens” (released in March), Minnette introduced his girlfriend, Lydia Night of the Regrettes, who filled in for Clairo on the duet. Though touring in support of their latest release, this was a night dedicated to home and their litany of EPs that started it all.

Before diving into “Scrawny” the band declared that they “want to make a special live version of ‘Scrawny’ at our hometown shows. We’d never ask to pull out phones at a show, but if you all film ‘Scrawny’ during the set and send to a special link we will use your footage for the video.” Out came the phones and the band played on.

Openers and L.A. locals Slow Hollows played a short set of sunbleached tunes that heralded a sort of summertime ennui. Collaborators to both Tyler, The Creator and Frank Ocean, they performed with a skill that belied their years.

Set List: Treacherous Doctor, Pulling Leaves Off Trees, Sidelines, Scrawny, These Days, Drunk on Halloween, Ice Cold Pool/ Underneath the Streetlights in the Winter Outside Your House, Worlds Apart, What You Like, Uncomfortable, Remember When, Pictures of Girls, Are You Bored Yet?, I’m Full, Do Not Wait, Only Friend // Encore: 1980s Horror Film, Pleaser

Photos by Jessica Hanley