Photos and review by: Jason Robey

CHARLOTTE, NC — The year was 2000. The world had just dodged Y2K, Australia was preparing to host the summer Olympics, and America’s teenagers were ushering in a new wave of music with the emo/pop-punk explosion. New York’s Wheatus unleashed their debut single and anthem-to-be, “Teenage Dirtbag.” A quarter century later, the band is hitting the road to celebrate the 25th anniversary of that milestone album, making an early tour stop in Charlotte. 

Pennsylvania quartet Don’t Panic, named for Douglas Adams’ sci-fi pop culture classic The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, kicked the night off with a 45-minute set to get the crowd warmed up and bouncing. The group brought a high energy performance, keeping it up as the audience was still filing in. From the opening chords of “Photographs,” the group was determined to get the up and moving. Their power pop cover of Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time” was a magical key for much of the audience to sing and dance along, and sticking with it for the rest of the set. 

Wheatus took the stage in the most unassuming way, chatting with the crowd before opening with an audience requested “Whole Amoeba.” From that point, the band continued to play requests for most of the evening, making sure to play the entirety of their self-titled debut album. Vocalist/guitarist Brendan B. Brown remained highly engaging with the crowd throughout the performance with stories and musings, making the show feel unique and intimate.

The group kept the vibe upbeat and bouncy for the whole show, ripping through fan favorites like “The Song That I Wrote When You Dissed Me” and “Lemonade,” and occasionally fending off requests for their biggest hit, promising it would be coming when it was time. Brown asked the audience who wasn’t alive yet when the song was released, surprised that at least half the crowd cheered with their hands up. As the night wrapped up, the song everyone knew was coming closed the show, kicking the energy in the room up even more with everyone singing and dancing along. 

Wheatus’ 25th anniversary tour will continue throughout the year, check their website and social media pages for dates.