Stereophonics
w/ Witches Exist
The Wiltern – Los Angeles, CA
Tuesday, April 8th, 2025
Review/Pics: Manuel Gay
Welsh rock band Stereophonics will release their thirteenth album Make ’em Laugh, Make ’em Cry, Make ’em Wait by the end of April. They will also bless the UK with a stadium tour later this year to promote their new release. But until then, the lucky ones are on the other side of the Atlantic as the US & Canada got treated with a Spring tour that stopped by the Wiltern on April 8th. I have been somewhat of a fan since discovering them in 2003 when they were opening for The Rolling Stones in Paris and totally blew my mind. I was excited to “reconnect” with the band in a live setting and I have to say I was not disappointed at all. Like fine wine, Kelly Jones and his songs age perfectly well.
Witches Exist a young band from Texas, got the ball rolling at 8pm and delivered a 30 min set of noisy and trippy post-punk rock. I wasn’t familiar with the band, but it didn’t take more than a couple of songs to feel their potential. And it seemed like I wasn’t the only one as the crowd embraced their hazy tunes. Despite a brief technical difficulty where all microphones simply stopped working, the band made the best of their thirty-minute set before inviting the audience to the merch booth for an impromptu meet and greet.
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After a short intermission, the lights turned off and it was time for the main attraction of the evening to take the stage. Stereophonics has had the same line up for the past fifteen years or so, therefore it goes without saying that it is a well-oiled machine we are dealing with. They started strong with a oldie but goodie “Vegas Two Times” from Just Enough Education To Perform (2003). The setlist touched on eleven of their (soon) thirteen albums which was perfect. If you were a fan of the old days or more recently got turned onto them, everyone found what they were looking for.
The lighting was nice, and a cool background embellished the stage which made the show enjoyable. A sea of smartphones appeared in the air to record hits like “Just Looking” or “Maybe Tomorrow”, amongst other fan favorites. Perhaps my personal favorite was “Graffiti On The Train” which sounded incredible live. Kelly took some time in between songs to introduce the band members or the story behind songs, like “Boy On A Bike” which was inspired by a memory Kelly had riding his bike to his grandmother’s house on crisp snow and that evoked to him Robert Frost’s poem “Dust Of Snow”.
After a short break, the band came back for a three-song encore. Their hit “Mr. Writer” got the whole Wiltern singing as one. Stereophonics are a rock powerhouse, and I believe seeing them live should be on anyone’s bucket list. The US tour will be about done by the time this article will be up and Europe is up next. But if you happen to be in Southern California, they will be back for a make-up-date in San Diego at the end of September since they had to cancel and postpone that show due to illness. Also, make sure to check out Make ’em Laugh, Make ’em Cry, Make ’em Wait on April 25th.
Related Links
Stereophonics
Witches Exist
