MisterWives, Joan, Juliana Madrid

Diamond Ballroom, Oklahoma City, OK

October 12, 2024

Review and Gallery by: Ally Arens

Alternative-pop quintet MisterWives are in the midst of their “Just For One Night” tour, bringing a decade-spanning setlist to audiences across the United States on what they have confirmed to be their last tour for a little while. Fellow indie-pop act joan is supporting the tour throughout the entire run, with Juliana Madrid, Moody Joody, and Meg Smith rotating as opening acts. The Encore Nights had the pleasure of catching the tour as it came through Oklahoma City’s Diamond Ballroom on the band’s way to performing at Weekend 2 of Austin City Limits.

First to take the stage was solo artist Juliana Madrid, and she warmed up the crowd with her soulful vocals and dreamy instrumentals. Performing tracks such as “Afterlife,” “Give Me Evil,” and a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams,” she helped set the tone for the night ahead while also allowing the crowd to save their dancing feet for the headliner by offering a more chill vibe.

Next up was fellow indie-pop duo joan of Little Rock, Arkansas, whose smooth riffs and heartfelt lyrics kept the crowd dancing for a few beats while they waited for the headline act. Their 10-song setlist featured a few selections from their 2018 EP portra such as “tokyo” and “love somebody like you” as well as more recent singles like September’s “heartbodymindsoul.” 

At long last, it was time for the stars of the show – and they emerged on stage firing on all cylinders. MisterWives took the stage amongst a sea of strobe lights and immediately got the crowd moving with the energetic pairing of “Organized Chaos” and “Out of Your Mind” from their most recent offering Nosebleeds. Vocalist Mandy Lee absolutely commanded the stage, headbanging and dancing all throughout the performance while her bandmates – guitarists Marc Campbell and William Hehir, drummer Etienne Bowler, and keyboardist/saxophonist Mike Murphy rocked the heck out of their respective instruments, especially Murphy’s saxophone solo during “rock bottom”. 

While their setlist skewed heavily toward Nosebleeds – to no complaint of mine as it’s currently my favorite album of theirs – they also had plenty of throwbacks for longtime fans spanning their entire discography, including “Our Own House” and “Reflections” from their 2015 debut album, “Coloring Outside the Lines” from 2017’s Connect the Dots, and a few tracks from 2020’s SUPERBLOOM. Since the band is planning to take a break from touring for a bit, the show was a little bittersweet, but it was also a phenomenal sendoff for now, and we will be eagerly awaiting their return to the stage.

The Just For One Night tour resumes on October 15 with a show at The Observatory in Santa Ana, California, before continuing through the U.S. in the fall, concluding on November 8 in St. Petersburg, Florida. Tickets to all upcoming shows can be found on the band’s website.