Clowning Around With Wallice at Brighton Music Hall
By Eva McNally ‘25
Los Angeles-born, raised, and based singer-songwriter Wallice Hana Watanabe, known simply by her forename, Wallice, recently brought her courtly entertainment to Brighton Music Hall following the recent release of her debut album, The Jester, which came out in mid-November of 2024.
The Jester is beautifully intimate, candid, and incredibly personal with a universal appeal, and is certainly a standout 2024 release. The album, despite being her debut, is the caliber of a seasoned veteran, even featuring guitarist Albert Hammond Jr., a member of The Strokes on the track “Clown Like Me.” The album title is nothing short of perfect as Wallice tackles themes of performing for nobody, being an unappreciated entertainer, and feeling like a fool–desperate for attention. The jester’s role is to make people laugh, pull stunts for an audience, and perform, and Wallice draws poignant parallels between the realities of being an artist and being a jester, both entertainers. More on that later.
Just before doors opened, Wallice made an appearance outside the venue and said a quick hello to her fans waiting in the cold. She thanked everyone for coming and went down the line handing out stickers decorated with her name and the title of her album.
Before Wallice took to the stage, Ally Evenson delivered an electrifying set. She donned the adorable blue bonnet from the cover of her album entitled BLUE SUPER LOVE, with two sheep-esque ears protruding from each side of her head. Her set started with the opening track of the album, entitled “Shitty Heaven.” The song was incredibly rich and textured with gritty vocal layers; she commanded the audience's attention with her voice. About midway through her set, as she tuned her guitar, she asked if anyone in the audience had a joke. Someone offered: “What do you call a nun that sleepwalks? A roamin’ Catholic!” The audience groaned and laughed, all in good fun.
She and the audience fell into the groove, maintaining brief, yet comfortable banter between songs. Evenson reminisced about the last time she was on the stage at Brighton Music Hall with Chloe Moriondo as a part of her band. How amazing and surreal it must have been to be playing her music this time around. Next time: a headlining tour of her own!
The headliner’s band emerged from behind the curtain all wearing cone hats in various colors and adorned with pom poms in matching shirts with little red decals. Wallice stepped out behind them, decked out with clown makeup; a powdery white face, signature red cheeks, blue eyeshadow, and black lipstick, emulating a Pierrot mask. She too sported a laughably tall conical hat and frilly clothes, she even hosted an Instagram live before stepping on stage as she did her signature tour look.
Astoundingly, she managed to keep her hat on throughout the whole set, even as she swapped guitars, having to slide the strap comically high over her head. Physical humor, after all, is a staple of jesterly comedy. Every time she did so, the audience erupted in applause, earning a beaming smile from the lead singer. They played nearly every song from The Jester, save “Sickness,” and sprinkled an assortment of songs from earlier projects throughout the set.
Wallice made her debut as an artist in 2020 with her single “Punching Bag,” which she played halfway through the set. In this interview with Bizzare, she cites her inspiration for the track coming from her friend’s address appearing as a suggested destination on her Google Maps at a time when they weren’t talking. As the title suggests, Wallice offers herself as a punching bag–is it better to be treated poorly than not being treated at all? The hilariously pathetic self-awareness and witty lyrics are superimposed on an otherwise upbeat track, with a light, airy sound akin to that of the band SALES.
The song delves into the complexities of navigating relationships and how they often change in ways that are beyond you. For example, a tale many of us are all too familiar with: your friend starts dating someone and suddenly, they don’t have the time for you anymore. In this scenario, friendships can recover, but sometimes, all you’re left with is a gaping hole in your life in the shape of your once-friend. What to do without closure and what to do when you’re constantly haunted by the past… The song is an ode to yearning for bygone days, tinged with nostalgia.
As many of us reach the age we fantasized about when we were kids, “23” is an especially relevant song that captures the feelings that come with being torn between wanting to grow up and remaining forever young. Wallice declares: “I just can’t wait to be all grown up at twenty-three / and tell me what is wrong with me / I miss my Ohio fake ID.” How amazing would it be to wake up one day with all of your problems gone and know what to do with your life?
Obviously, 23 is hardly “all grown up.” Wallice pokes fun at her own naivete in thinking that reaching adulthood would magically make everything make sense. It’s reassuring to believe that being an adult promises stability and happiness, but life is rarely that easy. She yearns to go back to a time when she could still believe in a stable future. The reality is that life is uncertain and chaotic, but within that there is hope. It sucks to watch peers settle into stable jobs and relationships and it’s so easy to feel left behind and directionless–a feeling Wallice clearly knows all too well.
In 2o22, before the release of her EP “90s American Superstar,” she signed to the London independent record label Dirty Hit, a momentous achievement, especially in an era when being an independent artist is full of hurdles, which at times, can seem insurmountable. The song “Funeral” was the only “90s American Superstar” feature on the setlist. Before launching into the number, Wallice asked the crowd to dance; her request was met with great enthusiasm. As she sang the chorus, a disco ball twinkled overhead, refracting beams of white light throughout the room and onto the crowd.
“The Opener,” the nearly six-minute long, brilliant statement track to open the album, appeared towards the end of the set. The song, autobiographical in nature, provides insight into how it feels to be a smaller-name artist opening for bigger artists, a position Wallice is quite familiar with. She has shared the stage with artists such as The 1975, Chloe Moriondo, Wallows, and Still Woozy. Being an opener is a great way to get exposure, but, as Wallice explores in the song, it means much more than that. She ponders big questions like: What is the job of an opener? To warm up the crowd? To fill the empty space? As an opener, the stakes are significantly higher, after all, they are vying for the attention of the audience. In most cases, people buy tickets to see the headliners and are there for the headliners, not the openers. The opening act must put on a memorable show if they want to gain any sort of traction. After all, many artists often start their careers as openers.
The most striking lyrics of the track are as follows: “‘Cause the concert starts / the second I leave.” Being an opener for another band is oftentimes a thankless gig that doesn’t garner well-deserved recognition for all the hard work that goes into putting on a show. Imagine being so vulnerable in front of a crowd only to have them talk obnoxiously loud over you and scroll on their phones, not even attempting to look like they’re paying attention. This track begins relatively slowly and quietly, but swells with heavy guitar and percussion after the third verse, commanding attention; a bold declaration that screams: Look at me! Listen to me!
Wallice closed out the set with “Heaven Has To Happen,” a sister track to “The Opener.” Though there was no encore, that hardly mattered. The energy in the room remained high; the band didn’t have to leave the stage and reappear minutes later to get the crowd fired back up. The song, similar in its themes to “The Opener” addresses feelings of impostor syndrome and self-doubt. Full of surprises until the very end, from under an inconspicuous satin red sheet, she pulled a clarinet, like magic; tapping into her jazz roots for a euphonic finale.
My one question: how hasn’t this girl blown up yet? She’s a secret that is impossible to keep and a hidden gem in the indie rock and alternative world. Her alluring sound, clever lyricism, and quirky personality are the perfect trifecta for a superstar in the making. She is without a doubt, one to keep your eyes on in the coming months, 2025 may very well be her breakout year. In her own words and right she is, Wallice puts on a damn good show!
