CHICAGO- On Sept. 10th 2025, Wisp with opening musicians Dream, Ivory and aldn performed at Metro in Chicago. Metro is an intimate and independent historical venue which provided the perfect ambiance and community space for a magical Wednesday night show. Wisp is a California-based group as well as an up-and-coming band in the genres of alternative rock and nu-gaze. They are currently on a headlining tour for their debut studio album “If Not Winter” as well as stopping to support other headliners at shows for Korn, System of a Down, and Deftones.
The lead, Natalie R. Lu, mostly sang music from their new album “If Not Winter” which was released in Aug. 2025. At the show, they performed their first live cover of “Yellow” by Coldplay. The recorded studio cover was released that same day. She also performed the title track of her debut EP, “Pandora,” that was released in April 2024.
They closed out with her debut single “Your Face” which was released on TikTok in April 2023, where it had 100,000 views in a single day. The song’s streaming numbers are currently around 150 million on Spotify alone. Lu’s social media reached millions of views while “Your Face” met with similar streaming numbers which opened up large opportunities like being signed to her label Interscope Records.
The official music video for “Your Face” was released in November 2023 with Boni Mata and Nick Vernet directing. The video takes place underwater with the cinematic visual appeal of clothed bodies swimming and was directed intentionally to avoid actors’ faces. The YouTube music video currently has 9 million views. Her many other music videos carry unique visuals which emphasize the songs storytelling, the songs’ pop elements, and the bands genre-merging abilities.
Overall, Wisps performance was mesmerizing and a digestible listen for those new to the nu-gaze. Their stage presence, amazing openers, a brand new release, and kind co-attendees made this concert memorable and solidified their spot on my personal list of new artists to look out for. Thank you Radio DePaul for sending me to the show and thank you to the Wisp team and Metro staff/security.
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