Written & Reviewed by Krysta Ayers
APRIL 11, Austin, Texas—Watching a rock show at the Scoot Inn is like watching from your semi-rich friend’s backyard. It’s intimate, and familiar, and just big enough for a group of friends to hang out. This couldn’t be truer than when watching West 22nd play the first show of their tour for their newly released album, Nowhere to Be. The local band (formed at UT and named after the street in West Campus) have roped in a loyal following around the city, so it really does feel like your friend’s backyard—like parents will come out any minute and tell you to keep it down.
West 22nd sounds exactly like the band you fall in love with when you’re in college. They have catchy bass riffs, upbeat drum patterns that are more Vampire Weekend and less AC/DC, indie-rock melodies, plus clear-cut vocals singing lyrics about love and loss. And really, at any point in your life, but especially in college, what more could you ask for if not pining lyrics for a lover? If you’re a fan of The Arcs, Hippo Campus, Arcy Drive, or Cage the Elephant…these are your guys. Their sound is also slightly reminiscent of the early 2010s—which seems almost natural against the backdrop of early-aughts fashion circling back into the mainstream (and seen in the crowd).
When I first saw West 22nd play a block party show in a parking lot for the apparel company, Howler Bros, I knew I would need to see them again. It was high-energy and fun (and also around the time of their first ACL performance). So, a second experience at Scoot Inn was welcomed (and an upgrade). The crowd was made up of what mostly seemed like their peers—other university-aged fans—and possibly some family members. And from the get-go, there was a palpable energy in the air; like we all decided this was our favorite band and we couldn’t wait for them to start.
They wasted no time once they were on stage. There was also no big ego on stage—they seemed serious about performing well and setting the tone for what the next chapter (tour) was going to bed. But they were also having fun. They spread out across the stage, communicating with each other with subtle nods or eye contact in ways only close friends and bandmates can do. During their set, they played some 2023 songs from their All the Way Home EP, like, “Sunburns,” and “Road Trip,” and “Sunny Jones”—a fan favorite—all the while dancing and engaging with the crowd, sometimes nodding to a familiar face in the crowd.
They also played new songs from the Nowhere to Be album, the project the band released on April 4, just a week before their show. And when they played “I Wonder Why,” Logan Madsen (vocals, guitar) used a guitar break to tell the crowd, “ You guys learn the lyrics quickly! The album’s been out a week!” To which, the crowd responded in cheers. The rest of the band, Gabe Acevedo (rhythm guitar and vocal backup); Jet Beck (bass); Jeremy Ancheta (lead guitar), grew visibly more confident in their playing, letting the claps and “woos” boost their energy like a coin with speed in Mario Kart. And when the show came to a close, after the encore song rang out its last note, the crowd stayed a while, piling out of the venue slowly, like no one wanted the songs to end.
As they continue with their 21-show tour, I have a feeling that it won’t be so easy to see the band play an Austin show in the future. As it is, the Scoot Inn show was sold out. They’re time of being nicknamed “the UT band” (I’m not on campus, I don’t know if people actually call them that) are over. They will likely charm the crowds that see them across the country, undoubtedly gaining more loyal fans ready to scream-sing their lyrics back to them. “You’ve got a lot of nerve to leave / I find it harder to believe / there’s somewhere else you need to be.” I can already see it posted on the bottom of an Instagram photo.