Indie/Alternative artist Wallice recently released her debut album titled The Jester in 2024. Most recently, she brought her sweet sounds to The Parish in Austin.
Wallice is the stage name of Los Angeles-based artist Wallice Hana Watanabe. In 2020 and 2021, she released hit singles “Punching Bag” and “23” respectively, launching the current era of her career. She is signed to independent label Dirty Hit, the same label as the 1975. She eventually opened for the 1975 on their Manila / Australia tour 2023, which inspired her debut album, The Jester.
The show opened with Closebye, who are friends of Wallice from her jazz musician days in New York City. Though half of its members originally hail from Texas, Closebye is based in New York. They rocked out to tracks from their sophomore album Hammer of My Own, which was released in August of last year.
Wallice opened her set with the waltz “Curtains to Close,’ the album’s closing track. She changed the lyrics to “hope that you enjoy the show” to make it the opener. The’s changed her usual cowboy aesthetic and opted for a clown-inspired look to fit with The Jester. Fans got the memo, as they showed up in clown makeup and pointy clown hats, something Wallice said she loved.
Rather than closing the set, Wallice’s hit singles “Punching Bag” and “23” were moved to the middle of the set and played with different instrumentals to mix things up. The band also brought new instruments, with a retro synth used for many of The Jester’s tracks and the lead guitar player picking up a trumpet for “Flash in The Pan.” The set ended with “Heaven Has to Happen,” which had a triumphant saxophone solo at the end. As the end approached with no saxophone in sight, the singer pulled off a cover to reveal that a soprano sax had been on stage the whole time, and she picked it up and played it herself.
I am an Austin, TX-based photographer and filmmaker. I moved from Houston to attend the University of Texas at Austin, where I graduated in 2022. I'm a lifelong music lover and spend tons of time attending shows and making music. Some current favorites are Sophie May, Farmer’s Wife, and K. Flay.
