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The audience’s anticipation for The Regrettes’ performance was palpable as a crowd of eager fans braved the frigid weather while waiting for the doors to open. Once the fans were inside, the Westcott Theater bursted with energy.

On Thursday at 7 p.m., the Westcott welcomed LA-based, pop-punk band The Regrettes as the most recent stop on the band’s “Get The F*ck Out of LA” Tour. They were joined by opening act Kississippi, the indie pop project of Zoe Reynolds.

Cricket Withall, a freshman at Syracuse University, went to the show with her friends Libbie Kirkpatrick and Ellie Graham, both juniors at SU. The group agreed that the concert was an upgrade from house shows in Syracuse.

“This was the first concert I’d been to in a while … it was a step up from a house show,” Withall said. “I hadn’t really been to a more intense concert like this.”

Kississippi started the night with heartfelt confessions from her latest album “Mood Ring.” She engaged with the audience, describing her vision for a potential music video for a “Mood Ring” track and sharing how a past relationship of hers almost ended at Westcott Theater. Reynolds, along with drummer Karl Kuehn and bassist Joshua Hayes, brought the audience through the highs and lows of relationships, with the upbeat “We’re So In Tune” and the reminiscence of “Big Dipper.”

When The Regrettes took the stage, the crowd erupted into screams. The band played a variety of songs from its discography. Fans joined in for renditions of “California Friends” and “Pumpkin” from the band’s 2019 album “How Do You Love?” Their performance of “Seashore,” a feminist power anthem from their 2017 debut “Feel Your Feelings Fool!,” electrified the crowd and demonstrated the band’s versatility.

The band also had some surprises in store for attendees, including song previews and an encore. Its performance of “That’s What Makes Me Love You,” a song released one day after the concert, and another unnamed track fueled anticipation for their next album.

Withall said she relished the exclusivity of hearing the song before its official release, and Graham thought the band did a great job keeping the crowd energized.

Audience member Libbie Kirkpatrick said she enjoyed the interactive aspects and pleasing aesthetics of The Regrettes’ show. Leanne Rivera | Contributing Photographer

Lead singer Lydia Night capitalized on that energy, leading the audience in dancing and cheering competitions, with each side of the crowd fighting for her attention. Night joined audience members standing in the front row, but not before passing out face masks stamped with The Regrettes’ logo to those without one and waiting for them to put them on.

Nina Tran, a freshman at SU, expressed concern about the number of people in the audience who weren’t wearing masks.

“People aren’t really wearing their masks, so it’s a little weird,” Tran said. “I mean, I appreciate (Night) passing them out, but you don’t know where people have been.”

Many attendees appreciated the highly engaging nature of the entire band and recognized it as the best part of the show.

“I really liked how interactive they were with the crowd, and it was just so aesthetically pleasing and the music was amazing,” Kirkpatrick said.

In the final twist of the night, Night swapped places with drummer Drew Thomsen, and the group came together for a rock-inspired melody. It was a definite high note to an energetic night, leaving the crowd longing for the band’s return.

Published on March 7, 2022 at 12:16 am