Following the release of their debut album Sha La La, Winnetka Bowling League are selling out shows across North America on their Tourgasm headlining tour. On July 21, the band bowled through Boston, or Cambridge, MA to be exact.
Opener Darryl Rahn began the show on a mellow note with a solo acoustic set. The native New Yorker and former Boston student confessed, “Boston hasn’t been my favorite city, but that might change today. That depends on you guys.”
Along with the challenge, Rahn confessed to the crowd and his family beaming side stage, “I used to blame it on the city, but I was just depressed at the time.” A witty comment that was very on brand for a Winnetka Bowling League show and continued through Rahn’s set.
Bathed in a blue glow, Rahn plucked through a set that featured songs like “ Heaven Is a Dive Bar,” and “Nothing Ever Happens,” which was produced by Winnetka Bowling League lead vocalist and acclaimed producer/writer Matthew Koma.
Akira Galaxy ramped things up with her 9 song set. Backed by her unassuming band, Akira proved that she was a star from the moment she walked on stage in her black bell bottoms, boots, and ruffled red 70s top.
Despite only making her debut in 2023, her performance was that of a tenured artist whether she was rocking out on her silver glitter guitar, reaching out to hold the hands of her captivated audience, or flexing with her impressive backbends.
The show came to a climax with headliners Winnetka Bowling League. By the glow of old televisions, one playing the Daniel Espinosa film “Morbius” and the others with just fuzz, the trio took to the stage.
“What’s up Boston?” Koma called out as he thanked the sold-out crowd for choosing them over the hot ticket of the night, Foo Fighters at Fenway Park.
Although Sonia is no iconic ballpark, the energy inside of the intimate venue was in a league of its own.
Part of that unparalleled energy can be attributed to Koma’s eccentric charisma created by quips and quirky anecdotes like navigating boundaries with his Betterhelp therapist. “That has absolutely nothing to do with this song. It was just on my mind,” Koma admitted after recounting the tale.
The 17 song set ranged from romantic to humorous to heart wrenching as the power-pop songs found Koma falling in love in CVS or finding empathy for strangers on the internet.
Like many of us, Koma is chronically online. In his scrolling, he came across a woman who documented her cancer battle. So moved, he wrote “a song about her and a song for her” called “Astrology & Context”
“Enough sad shit. Here’s something that’s good for you,” he promised as he poured over “Kombucha.”
Many of these songs are selections from Winnetka Bowling League’s debut album, which dropped this month. “Writing your first album you find out a lot about yourself,” Koma told the crowd. For Koma, that was his proximity to happiness.
“I’m parked right next to happiness…It’s not my default,” he confessed. This revelation was the inspiration behind track 10, the final track on the album, “Happy Adjacent.”
After serving up “Breakfast For Dinner,” Winnetka Bowling league concluded the show with “Slow Dances” as surprise bubbles that floated over the crowd.
The first leg of Tourgasm wraps in New York on July 22, however the guys will be back on the road this fall. To get your tickets, visit https://www.wbleague.com/
