PREVIEW: The Wonder Years @ The Strand 11/02

By Ali Audet

To call the Wonder Years strictly a pop punk band would be a gross mistake. The Philly-based rockers have departed the young pop punk sound of 2010’s The Upsides with their newest album Sister Cities. Sister Cities isn’t the first Wonder Years’ album to retreat from the band’s roots – it’s evident in 2013’s The Greatest Generation. But, Sister Cities shows a shift to lyrics about the world beyond Philadelphia. It’s about moving on, not only from a physical city but to a new perspective. Where previous material focuses a lot on a youth slipping away, Sister Cities shows a new maturity for the Wonder Years. Songs like album opener “Raining in Kyoto” discuss kind strangers in unfamiliar lands, but still maintain a certain sadness as well: “An older man stood close by and smiled at me / I rung the bell like he did and told you I’m sorry / A makeshift funeral, I tried setting you free.”

This fall and into early 2019, the Wonder Years are embarking on an international headlining tour to promote Sister Cities. Opening acts for their string of US shows include Have Mercy, Oso Oso, Shortly, and Roxbury. Although they aren’t playing in Boston, they’re hitting the stage at Providence’s the Strand on Nov. 2, 2018 at 7 p.m. The opportunity to hear material from Sister Cities live for the first time is well worth the trek to Providence. Plus, there’s bound to be some old favorites played as well, and nothing beats the energy and excitement of a Wonder Years show.

Tickets are available here or at the box office.