Coming all the way from Stockholm, Sweden, for an American tour, alternative rock band NONONO opened for Twenty One Pilots at the Tabernacle last Thursday night.
The three permanent members met and formed the band in Spring 2012, recorded some demos and was signed to Warner Music Records shortly after.
The band’s debut single “Pumpin’ Blood” charted on the U.S. Billboard 200 with a peak position at the 22nd spot in U.S. alternative music and 32nd spot in U.S. pop. The single is being further promoted and will likely continue to chart; for example, the song is featured on EA Sports’ 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil video game. With a unique sound and strong label backing, the band looks set to continue to grow and gain in popularity.
Their set began with an eerie sound clip playing while the band walked on stage. The band was relatively unknown to the crowd and thus many people had no idea what to expect. The guitarist introduced themselves as “We are NONONO from Sweden!” and the band immediately began playing.
Vocalist Stina Wappling sang about the frustrations of life and of love won and lost. The band’s opening song “Human Being” features the catchy chorus “I’m losing all this time,” as Wappling sings about how she feels like a fool for falling in love.
Helped by exceptional drumming and bass, this song instantly catches attention. The keyboard in the background also contributes to making this an entertaining song.
The next song “Jungle” further displays the band’s unique sound. This song was Wappling’s standout track of the night as her vocals were exceptional and very catchy, as she sings about rejecting a potential lover. “Please go back to the jungle where you came from… Take your hands off me, take your hands off me.”
The band continued to play songs with verses to dance to which also have insanely catchy choruses. The band played “Like the Wind,” another song off their debut EP Pumpin Blood. The band then played a couple relatively unknown songs before playing their hit single “Pumpin Blood.” This song was a hit with the crowd as it was the most recognizable song. The crowd was dancing and really enjoyed the band’s performance.
The standout member of the band had to be their drummer. He was energetic, constantly standing up, flipping drumsticks and noticeably having a good time. The band was somewhat energetic and interacted with the crowd by getting the audience to clap along to drumbeats and the bass.
The crowd reaction was largely indifferent for the first half of the set, but it was much improved by its end, as the crowd was dancing and clapping along to the music.
Before playing their final song, the guitarist said it was his birthday, to which the crowd gave a loud cheer and yelled happy birthday, and it was evident he and the rest of the band really enjoyed their set.
All in all, the crowd enjoyed NONONO’s performance, confirming the fact that this is a band that deserves wider attention.