Under the low-lit glow of Rose Bowl Tavern’s indoor stage, Louisville-based trio Wombo delivered a set that balanced both calm and chaos on Thursday night.
The band performed at 9:30 p.m. as part of this year’s PYGMALION festival, drawing in a mixed crowd of older locals and college-aged audience members.
Heads bobbed across the room as Wombo played its mix of dreamy vocals, sharp guitar riffs and steady drums. The audience remained fairly mellow and did not shout. Instead, the energy came from the instruments themselves, which carried the music with a calm yet powerful presence.
Sydney Chadwick’s wispy vocals were close to hypnotic, clashing beautifully with Cameron Lowe’s electric guitar riffs, giving the songs their edge. All the while, Joel Taylor’s drumming grounded the set and kept the energy moving forward.
Midset, Chadwick admitted to the audience her unfamiliarity with Champaign-Urbana.
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“This is our first time in Urbana,” Chadwick told the audience. “I kept saying it like ‘Uhr-bah-na.’”
Moments like that were rare. The band did introduce the titles of its music or move around the stage; however, its playing spoke loudly enough, showing just how skilled it is.
That sense of restraint is part of what makes Wombo stand out.
Audience member Konrad Logan appreciated Wombo’s subtle approach.
“It is rare you see a three-piece like (Wombo),” Logan said. “Their bass really makes their music, and PYGMALION does a great job at bringing out a lot of artists you do not typically see.”
For the trio’s final song, Lowe traded his powder-blue guitar for a red one, adding a small surprise and stylistic choice, before Chadwick wrapped up the set with a quick thanks to PYGMALION and to C-U.
The energy in the room captured the essence of what PYGMALION aims to showcase — unique artists in intimate settings.
The night’s performance left a lasting impression not just on fans, but also on the staff who helped organize the festival and enforced safety measures.
Jon Denton, site supervisor of Rose Bowl Tavern, praised the first night of PYGMALION.
“(The) music was freaking awesome, and the vocals were on point,” Denton said. “(PYGMALION) has just been great all around.”
After its set, Wombo didn’t retreat backstage — they walked right into the crowd, chatting casually with fans. It was a fitting end to a night where the music did most of the talking.
Drummer Lowe complimented the space and crowd.
“This was a really fun intimate set in a cool little bar,” Lowe said. “We’re going to go get some good night’s rest and then drive eight hours tomorrow.”
With its first Urbana show in the books, Wombo left the stage quietly confident, setting the tone for the rest of PYGMALION weekend.
