Concert review: The Wombats w/ Cigarettes at Sunset | 02.21.26, The Hawthorn (with photo gallery)

Photo of The Wombats by Laura Jerele

If you came to see The Wombats looking for anything resembling subtlety, you were definitely in the wrong room. From the second they hit the stage at the Hawthorn, this show was full throttle with fun that never once let up. Song after song rolled out with zero downtime, the crowd locked in, dancing hard, singing louder, and clearly ready to follow the band wherever things were headed. And where they headed was straight into delightfully unhinged territory.

This show was the second to last of the tour and there was no fatigue showing, nothing that made it seem like they were ready to be done. They came out bouncing with hella high energy! Somewhere along the way, a trombone-playing wombat showed up on stage, casually stealing the show like this sort of thing happens all the time. The drum riser was fully wrapped in wombat fur, because, well, commitment matters. Over at the merch table, fans could adopt adorable plush wombats, which is honestly not something you expect to do at a rock show, but here we are. And every stitch of it worked. I have no idea why they are named after wombats; what I do know is they’ve been making music for twenty years and they have a great catalog of really catchy synth-pop-meets-indie songs. And I’m here for it!

They wrapped the night with my favourite (and their biggest, funnest hit), “Let’s Dance to Joy Division,” bringing multiple dancing wombats on stage this time and turning the place into in the weirdest and most memorable wombat disco. Everyone was dancing, jumping, laughing, snapping photos, and soaking in how ridiculous and joyful the whole thing was. It was silly, it was quirky, it was loud, it was nonstop, and all of it worked because the band didn’t slow down for a second!  It was aces to be reminded why seeing live music is supposed to be—and how it can be—fun. And if you weren’t there, sucks to be you, and here’s what ya missed:

Moving to New York
Techno Fan
Cheetah Tongue
Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want to Come
Give Me a Try
Ready for the High
Can’t Say No
Pink Lemonade
Kill the Director
Holy Sugar
Method to the Madness
Lethal Combination
Blood On the Hospital Floor
Lemon to a Knife Fight
If You Ever Leave, I’m Coming With You
Tokyo
Turn
Greek Tragedy
Let’s Dance to Joy Division

Cigarettes at Sunset kicked things off opening for The Wombats and immediately won the room with their Appalachian-leaning rock n’ roll sound, feeling a bit like a younger, scrappier Zach Bryan with raspy, heartfelt vocals that actually mean something. They’re fun, young, and clearly loving every second of being on the road, ripping through punchy, kickass songs about staying positive, staying in the world, and keeping the dark thoughts at bay when those heavy days and thoughts creep in. It was all feel-good vibes without feeling forced, the kind of set that lifts you up without preaching, and they sealed the deal by hanging at the merch table afterward, genuinely happy to meet fans and soak in the touring life. Definitely a band worth catching, it feels like they’re just getting started and they’ve got some teeth. | Laura Jerele