The Wombats visited DC with a show at The Anthem on Tuesday night. The British rockers formed the band in 2003 and have seen success with hits “Greek Tragedy” and “Pink Lemonade”. Only the Poets and Red Rum Club joined the band for their show at The Anthem, making the show a true British affair. The Wombats got their start in 2003 and have seen moderate chart success over the years, but the viral explosion of “Greek Tragedy” brought them a slew of new fans. The Wombats have taken the Oh! The Ocean Tour across the world and are wrapping up with a North American leg.
Only the Poets are an indie-rock band from Reading, England. They formed in 2017 and released their debut single “Ceasefire” the same year. They were energetic, getting the crowd warmed up ahead of The Wombats. They expressed gratitude to The Wombats for including them on the tour several times throughout the set, and credited the group for getting inspiring them to form Only the Poets. They’re currently promoting their 2024 EP, Better on the Internet. Their upcoming debut studio album And I’d Do It Again is slated for an early 2026 release.
The Wombats kicked off their set with one of their newer singles “Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want to Come”. The energy was instant, with guitar player Tord Øverland Knudson immediately beginning to run and jump all over the stage. His feet barely touched the ground throughout the show. Lead singer Matthew Murphy was almost as energetic, moving around to engage with the crowd as much as possible. They included tributes to their marsupial namesake several times throughout the show. They had a stuffed wombat plush on the stage with them and throughout the show, crewmembers dressed in wombat costumes joined them onstage. Their setlist featured over 20 songs spanning their 22-year discography. They highlighted their British roots throughout the evening, mentioning their homeland several times. They ended the night with “Greek Tragedy” and “Let’s Dance to Joy Division”, delivering an electrifying finale to the show.
The Wombats released their sixth album, Oh! The Ocean in February of this year, and have toured extensively since then on a tour of the same name. They kicked off their North American leg of the tour in mid-October, traveling to 20 cities, wrapping up on November 14th in Boston. They recently announced an additional American tour leg for 2026 with 18 more dates across the country.
Final grade: B+
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