Indie band Wild Child and special guest SUSTO will perform through the Hope College Concert Series on Friday, Sept. 16, at 8 p.m. at the Knickerbocker Theatre located in downtown Holland.
Since forming five years ago when Wild Child’s core duo, Kelsey Wilson and Alexander Beggins, met during a stint as members of a backup band for a Danish artist’s U.S. tour, the band has gone from playing shows for nine people to selling out venues across North America and Europe.
The Austin-based Wild Child’s 2011 debut album “Pillow Talk” notched four number-one singles on indie pulse monitor Hype Machine. “The Runaround” in 2013 upped the ante, making best-of lists and garnering glowing reviews and write-ups from NPR, Paste, Popmatters, and many others. Then Wild Child hit television, performing on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and serving as the featured artists on CBS Saturday Morning.
The band has since released its third album, “Fools” (2015), which is a collection of lush pop.
SUSTO is the brainchild of Justin Osborne. The band was born out of collaboration between Osborne and various colleagues including Johnny Delaware, Wolfgang Zimmerman, Nicholas Scott Woodley and Camilo Miranda.
SUSTO’s music is a genre of its own with hints of Americana, alt-country, southern folk, indie rock, and even gospel. Ben Bridwell, leader of Band of Horses, lauded the band’s 2014 self-titled debut album, saying, “I fell in love with the album immediately,” adding, “[It] was so full of great hooks and great storytelling.”
SUSTO maintains a moderate tour schedule and has opened for major acts such as Boston, Band of Horses, Iron & Wine, and Shovels & Rope. The band is currently working on a follow-up album.
Tickets for the concert are $5 for Hope students, $10 for members of the college’s faculty and staff, and $15 for the community. Tickets for the concert are available online at hope.edu/tickets as well as at the ticket office in the Events and Conferences Office located downtown in the Anderson-Werkman Financial Center (100 E. Eighth St.). The ticket office is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and can be called at (616) 395-7890.
The Knickerbocker Theatre is located at 86 E. Eighth St. between College and Columbia avenues.