Wet Leg and Mary In The Junkyard at the Fox Theatre in Oakland

Hot on the heels of their July release, Moisturizer, English indie rockers Wet Leg are tearing across North America to meet the massively viral demand to see the band live. So much so that Wet Leg sold out two consecutive nights at Oakland’s historic Fox Theater … and not by curiosity seekers who what to hear that one song … this was the type of “sold out” where people line up early and rush to the front get a coveted spot on the rail. So if you happened to be strolling down Telegraph Ave around 7:45 pm, the few people filtering into the front doors of the Fox may have led you to believe that there was nothing exciting going on inside.

The reality inside is that by the time openers Mary in the Junkyard took the stage promptly at 8 pm, the general admission floor was already packed with a receptive crowd that showed genuine appreciation for their 35 minute set even as they silently pined for Wet Leg. Unfortunately for someone, they may have gotten a little too excited for the headliners and Mary in the Junkyard’s set had to be paused to care for someone who apparently passed out up front. It would certainly have been a shame if that person missed what was to follow.

With the opener finished, the crew cleared the equipment and the crowd when through another round of jockeying for position as people fetched cocktails and even more folks managed to cram into the lowest level of the floor. A final blast from the hazers from side stage as a queue for the band to take the stage, frontwoman Rhian Teasdale emerging from the fog with biceps flexed as the band ripped right into “Catch These Fists,” their first single off of Moisturizer, as the crowd gleefully bounced along to the thumping beat.

With the band set up around the periphery of the stage, Rhian had plenty of room to move, and move she did. Dragging her mic stand from corner to corner, she gave every inch of those front rows some attention and in return the dissonant mix of middle-aged men and young women gave the band back energy 10-fold. Placing the mic stand back center-stage, she grabbed her translucent lime green B.C. Rich guitar for “Wet Dream.”

Rhian let the band handle most of the between-song banter but did take a moment to acknowledge the pair of crab claws that had been tossed onto the stage at the beginning of the set. Otherwise the set was pretty much a nonstop pummeling of tunes from the band’s two albums with a particular focus on the new material (everything but “Pokemon”) which kept the energy level pegged in the red throughout the hour and ten-ish minute set.

These days it take a lot to sell out a venue the size of the Fox … much less two times over! And as a regular concert goer it’s pretty common to see audiences tap-out during “buzz-worthy” bands once they’ve played their hit. Wet Leg’s performance stood in stark contrast to this with the packed house gleefully hanging on through the frenetic closing notes of “CPR.” Wet Leg is no doubt here to stay.