Wheatus – The Tuning Fork : January 27, 2026 (13th Floor Concert Review)
Wheatus, the long-running New York alt-rock oddballs best known for the inescapable Teenage Dirtbag and their delight in never playing the same set twice in a row, rolled into Auckland last night with a show that felt equal parts power-pop time capsule, fan-service jukebox, and communal therapy session.
Touring on the back of their 25th Anniversary run, the band brought a loose, good-humoured, deeply human performance — the kind that thrives on two-way energy, spontaneity, and the constant possibility that someone in the crowd is about to derail the setlist entirely.
Opening the night was Gabrielle Sterbenz, long-time member of Wheatus and a singer-songwriter in her own capacity. Her opening song highlighted her stunning vocals and her set comfortably flowed between Americana, country, and classic rock, all underpinned by gospel-honed vocals, Joey and Carly provided harmony.
Before Wheatus took the stage, actor Thomas Ian Nicholas ( of TINBand or TNB) warmed up the room with a light, confident solo set that balanced charisma with musicianship. Equal parts humour and nostalgia with songs like Stiflers Mum, 1999 and The Middle, Thomas also showcased some solid songs from his latest album including We’re Going to be Ok, Same Kids and Tomorrow’s Going to Hurt. The standout though was My Generation from 2011’s TNB album. The sound was sharp, well-mixed. A strong opener that set an upbeat tone.
Wheatus have always been a curious case, a band with a global megahit, a fiercely loyal cult following, and a catalogue that links tongue in cheek lyrics with pristine pop hooks and occasional wig-outs. Live that morphs into a bit of a superpower. Led by founding member and creative driver, Brendan B. Brown – lead vocals/guitar with regulars Matthew Milligan – bass, Brandon Ticer – keyboards , vocals and joined by Gui Fuentes– drums with Gabrielle Sterbenz ,Joey Slater and Carly Bruce – backing vocals.
The sold-out room was comfortably full, warm and happy rather than frantic, when Brendan B. Brown walked onstage — lowkey as ever, comfortable chatting with the fans — and kicked straight into the requested Truffles followed by Leroy, smart, groove-heavy that immediately loosened the crowd. From there the band slid into their much-admired cover A Little Respect,
Brown has said he learns 80 odd songs before a tour and just lets it runs where it runs on the night. Tonight, the band indulged their trademark request/roulette. The benefit of course being that you can almost guarantee staples like Punk Ass Bitch, BMX Bandits, Hump’Em N’ Dump’Em all of which landed with the usual gleeful chaos, Wannabe Gangstar, well the crowd knew every word of that, the energetic Hey Mr Brown and the singalong Love is a Mutt from Hell.
The downside meaning that you may of course that there is little chance of hearing less obvious gems like That’s True or Lady Adelaide.
But we did get Fourteen, Lemonade and the complex textured Valentine, all delivered with an unpretentious tightness showed just how musically capable the band is. The gentler I’d Never Write a Song About You and Something Good offered the night’s quieter moments, while Sunshine, Temporary Song and Pretty Girl kept the energy up. Overall, what you are reminded of is that Wheatus genuinely have a bunch of excellent little songs in their back pocket. As is their tradition they threw in snippets of other artists, Green Day, Madonna and a hint of Freebird and a bit of Jesses Girl.
What set this show apart was the level of crowd interaction. Brown comes over as laid back and is perfectly willing to stop a song mid-intro if someone yells out something interesting. That improvisational ethos is part of the charm; it makes every Wheatus gig feel like a late-night wine bar conversation.
And then, of course, came that song. A band that embraces their superhit, they don’t treat Teenage Dirtbag as a finale so much as a musical edifice jointly owned with their fans. From the first “Her name is Noelle,” the entire venue sang at full, joyful slightly toneless volume — the kind usually reserved for school bus trips and last call karaoke. Twenty five years on, the song clearly remains deeply etched in people’s brains. The audience was a wide demographic range.
There was a special treat with two delightful closers tonight with acoustic The Story of William McGovern and American in Amsterdam.
The sound mix was crisp for a band balancing acoustic/electric texture, hand percussion, and layered harmonies. Vocals sat forward without overpowering instruments, and the bass tone was articulate and punchy. Lighting stayed understated: nothing too busy, nothing that tried to compete with the personality on stage
Wheatus’ first ever Auckland show simply showcased everything the band does best: unfussy, delightfully chaotic, melodic, funny, nostalgic, and deeply, unexpectedly sincere. They impress as a band that delivers not by scale or spectacle, but by audience connection — the feeling that you’re in a room with musicians who actually deeply truly love that they have the opportunity of playing music for you. The band had arrived from Sydney at 4am this morning …and was still going at 11.15pm!!!!!
“People truly do have better things to do than to see us and they come anyway … it’s disrespectful to not give it everything. So you gotta bring it”. Brendon B Brown (the popbreak)
John Hastings
Click on any image to view a photo gallery by Philip Chignell:
Wheatus:
Thomas Ian Nicholas:
Gabrielle Sterbenz:
