Wallingford, CT— On July 1, 2023, Yungblud The World Tour came to The Dome at Toyota Oakdale Theater. The night featured Yungblud as the headliner, with Sophie Powers and The Regrettes as openers.

The crowd was packed, having been entirely a floor show. Sophie Powers went on first and was perfect for beginning to hype up the crowd with a sound that perfectly complimented that of Yungblud. She sings hyper-punk and glitch-rock, her ultimate goal is to bring emotion and feeling to the forefront of her music, according to her website. 

Powers’ music is easy to get into, and her crowd interaction also adds another level to the performance by asking about breakups and adding a level of relatability. Powers is also only 18 years old and is traveling all the way from Toronto, Canada, to go on this world tour. Her being in touch with what it means to be young is what helps to add honesty to her music and to create such a validating body of work.

The artist added another personal touch by talking about being from Canada and wearing amazing fashion, which perfectly suits her as she also designs clothing and likes to incorporate her style into the concert looks. A couple of the highlights were “Breakup on the Weekend” and a cover of Nirvana’s “Heart-Shaped Box,” which was beautifully done and is available to listen to on Spotify.

 After a short intermission of music, including “Bennie and the Jets,” which my friend and I had a ton of fun dancing to, The Regrettes took the stage to the sound of Dean Martin filling the room. The band immediately had a lot of energy, and you could tell that they were excited for the night, with lead singer Lydia Night dancing around as her braids flew up in the air. The bond that the members of the band also have was clear as Dixon and Night danced together.

 Late last month, I got to talk with Night about the upcoming tour and the excitement that the band had surrounding this tour. It was amazing to see their passion come to life. Not to mention, the band had an incredible setlist for any longtime fan of the Regrettes. The band opened with one of my personal favorites, “California Friends,” and remained full of enthusiasm for the entire set. Night multiple times encouraged the audience to dance around mosh, and as she put it, “shake some ass,” the crowd did just that.

 The band also engaged with the audience by having them split the pit in half to go along with the music. They played other fan favorites like “Pumpkin,” but songs like “Barely on My Mind” and “Seashore’’ were perfect for the vibe that the night carried. Night even called the set one of her favorite shows that they have done so far. 

A highlight of the night was when the band switched instruments, with the drummer Drew Thomsen going on guitar and the lead singer Lydia Night going on drums. This was also when the audience got most excited about the set. Not to mention, Gariano had an unforgettable solo on the guitar. Overall, the performance was one that you would not want to miss when getting to a concert before the headlining act. 

Then came the moment that everyone had been waiting for when Dominic Harrison, aka Yungblud, began to perform. When the graphic flashed on screen to “open the pit,” the crowd absolutely erupted in a way that I haven’t heard at a concert in quite some time. What became immediately apparent was that the Wallingford, Connecticut, audience was a dedicated and high-energy crowd. The artist himself commented on the energy multiple times and mentioned that he specifically wanted Connecticut to be on the tour.

The English artist began creating music in the summer of 2018 and has not looked back. He has also been incredibly active in using his voice since the start of his career, including being part of March for Our Lives and being outspoken on equality. The singer is currently releasing music with Geffen Records, and his most recent release has been his single “Lowlife.” Harrison never shies away from being open and honest in his lyricism, and the intensity that he feels for the music translates on stage. 

The music was incredible, and to many, you could tell it felt therapeutic to scream the words out and just feel completely free in that room to jump around and feel the music. The artist even brought a fan on stage to pick a song, and that’s when “California” began. That song as well as “Fleabag” felt like a highlight of the night in terms of the sound.

 The crowd at times did get rowdy, with Yungblud apparently now missing his shirt; however, it is clear that the artist loves the energy while keeping the crowd safe, making sure to call out security when needed if the pit got a bit too intense and making sure that everybody took steps back if things got too crowded. The biggest takeaway was that Harrison clearly cares about his fans and ensures that they have the best time possible while also being 100% in the performance of the music. 

In the crowd was also a young girl; this was her first concert of her entire life, and many families went with their kids. Overall, the crowd was very dynamic, and it was clear that anybody could enjoy this show and what these artists bring to the table. Dominic especially poured his heart out into all the music and gave each song his all to make the night incredibly memorable for everyone in attendance. The Yungblud World Tour is a show that you do not want to miss; it comes across from the stage that everybody involved truly loves what they do. 

I would also like to thank his team for the tour shirt that I was given and the kind words I received when I was spotted in the handicapped section. It made the night even more special. I highly recommend this venue for anybody who needs disability seating or is a wheelchair user. It’s very easy to access the pit and find a great spot. 

To purchase tickets to the tour, you can find information on upcoming shows here, and you can follow Yungblud on Instagram for any tour updates, as he has been pretty active about where he’s headed and behind the scenes of being on the road.