Want to know how to raise the temperature of the Metro Theatre on a cold winter’s night in Sydney? Send in Wednesday and watch the room sizzle like a hot North Carolina summer!

Wednesday’s sold-out Sydney show packed the venue so tightly that no one was moving independently; everyone in the lower room chose to sway and bounce together. From the Metro Theatre balcony, the crowd revealed a diverse mix of ages and outfits, mirroring the band’s eclectic sound. Their set spans a wild range of genres, blending emo, country, grunge, rock and the sounds of America’s South.

The band leans into mood over formula, pairing raw lyrics with equally raw emotion. Each story lands through angsty cries, guitar twangs and the occasional “I wrote a song about a bl*wjob!”. Case in point: the upbeat “Townies” from their 2025 album Bleeds dives into teenage sexuality and societal pressure. Nothing feels off-limits and Wednesday leaves no stone unturned.

Karly Hartzman delivers every lyric with sincerity, as if the song was just written. The band also doesn’t hide behind a persona; the relaxed banter with the crowd proves that what you see is exactly what you get. And that’s a full service offering, including helping fans reunite with their lost paraphernalia – including a phone, and a battery!

Mid-set, Karly dropped an “exclusive,” asking the crowd to keep it quiet for “ooohh… 53 minutes.” The reveal? A new Weezer x Wednesday duet, ‘We Might as Well Be Strangers’. And get this, it’s only the lead single from Weezer’s upcoming 20th album! Cue the crowd. Rooooaaarrrr!!!

As the set edged toward its finale, the band ditched the usual encore theatrics, declaring them “disingenuous” and a “tradition to do away with”. Embracing a tradition no one wants to get rid of, the band then commented that they had been impressed with the energy of their Melbourne fans during the previous two nights but declared Sydney next level. The crowd roaring back in approval.

Naaki Soul kicked things off and immediately set the tone for a high-energy night. She continues to carve out her own lane, weaving between shoegaze and ‘screamgaze’ with confidence. Rumour has it she shaped those experimental sounds in a tiny Beijing apartment before refining them in Brisbane studios.

Backed by a tight band, Naaki Soul pushed her sound even further. The Metro’s smoke and gritty lighting only amplifying the atmosphere. The crowd showed the love, and Naaki Soul returned later to join Wednesday for song “Quarry.” Hartzman even promised to buy a tour tee and encouraged the crowd to do the same “so we can twin.” Here’s to all the new Naaki Soul twins in Sydney, and hopefully a slightly richer Naaki Soul!

Wednesday’s Australian tour wraps up in Mullumbimby, NSW this Friday, 5 June.

Image supplied by PR