Marsupial Magic in Cleveland: The Wombats Bring Indie Euphoria to the House of Blues
- Madison Cozzens
- 24 hours ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 24 hours ago
Article & Photos by Madison Cozzens
The Wombats have been around since the early 2000’s providing listeners with the quintessential feel-good indie rock. Spanning from 2007 to 2025 their discography transports you back to the feeling of the 2010’s, making you feel like the star of your own coming of age movie. The group packed The House of Blues on a Thursday night in Cleveland, OH as they take their “Oh the Ocean Tour” across North America.
The American Marsupials Take the Stage
The opening band Cigarettes @ Sunset describes their music as “Appalachian Possum Rock”, which feels quite accurate. The group hails from Boone, North Carolina and you can feel the Appalachia roots in all of their songs thanks to the gritty vocals and violin that carry throughout. Their music doesn’t conform to any genres taking from rock, bluegrass pop and more; digging into the raw feelings of being human (that is of course unless they’re singing about having sex with vampires). The band’s motto is, “It doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to feel perfect.” and they delivered on that Thursday evening. The group made the House of Blues venue feel like an intimate small-town show when lead singer Garrett Dellinger got into the crowd and interacted with their new fans. Cigarettes @ Sunset has a bright future ahead, and you can take solace in the fact they are certified rabies free.
“We love The Wombats, they are incredibly generous for giving a
band our size this shot. We grew up on them and are honored to play with them”.
- Cigarettes @ Sunset
Time for The Wombats
The trio consisting of Matthew Murphy (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Tord Øverland Knudsen (bass, backing vocals, keyboards), and Dan Haggis (drums, backing vocals, keyboards), took the stage just after 9pm. The Wombats kicked off the evening with “Moving To New York”, an upbeat song that became part of their flagship sound. The 2010’s techno, pop, rock vibes that The Wombats bring is certain to get you into a good mood. It helps that the bassist, Øverland Knudsen, looks like he’s having the time of his life every second he’s on stage. The smile never leaves his face as he races and jumps around the stage engaging the crowd throughout the show. The positive energy flowed through the evening until the band performed their last song “Let’s Dance to Joy Division. The chorus stated, “everything is going wrong but we’re so happy”, paralleling the outside world and the group within the House of Blues that evening forgetting their troubles and being happy in the moment.
The Wombats formed in 2003 when the friends met at The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. While the group released their self-titled EP in the U.S. in 2008, the band didn’t reach the U.S. charts until Glitterbug in 2014. The album included songs like “Greek Tragedy” and “Pink Lemonade”, two of their top songs on Spotify to this day. Their music often appears in playlists with artists like Phoenix, Modest Mouse, Vampire Weekend, and Two Door Cinema Club. While their 2025 album “Oh! The Ocean”, keeps the 2000s indie pop at its core, the group explores complex themes and incorporates other genre elements.
Are You Ready for the High?
Off of their 2022 album, the song “Ready for the High”, may not be one of The Wombats’ most popular songs, but it is one of the most memorable. During the song, a giant wombat that played the trombone took the stage and goofed around with the band. The crowd loved it, grooving along with the trombone and the surprise guest. The song sets itself apart from their other songs, embracing the bombastic sound of horns, with a rock beat drop while keeping their techno roots.
The Wombats have been releasing songs for many years and they continue to produce songs that their fanbase loves. The group’s music will be a staple in the indie-rock community, inspiring others and bringing people together. The marsupial take over in Cleveland was a success with The Wombats and the possum rockers, making a lasting impression on all that attended.