Waterparks takes KEMBA Live! By Storm on The Prowler Tour – 11/29/25

Photography and Review by Ash Schnoor

There’s a certain point where a lot of shows I attend start to blur together a bit, but the Waterparks show in Columbus, Ohio, definitely was not one of them. However, the blur of gas stations, highway lines, and playlists looped definitely did (but you can read more about that in my review of Winona Fighter here). The closer and closer we got to KEMBA Live!, the more the driving exhaustion wore off, and it turned into straight anticipation.

From the second the intro video started with the old man yapping, the crowd immediately locked in on the show. The room erupted into cheers as they launched into “Blonde” (which is one of my favorite songs of theirs, not just because I’m a bleach blonde myself) and “SNEAKING OUT OF HEAVEN.” Waterparks immediately nailed setting a chaotic and high-energy tone that stays with you for the rest of the show. By the time they reached “Stupid for You,” the entire room was buzzing with energy, shouting every word and jumping at the same time as frontman Awsten Knight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

However, the night really shifted for me when we got to the first crowd pick of the night, where they got to pick between “Telephone” and “Peach (Lobotomy).” Thankfully the second of the choices won, which was luckily my favorite of the two. While this was my third time hearing it, it’s one of those songs where it just feels so much bigger live. It packs true, raw emotion, and you could feel the crowd feeding into that energy.

That momentum was kept straight into “Dream Boy,” which ended up being my personal most unforgettable moment of the night. Somehow in the middle of all the moment of the crowd, I found myself getting lifted across the crowd with a trans flag. I managed to pass it all the way to Knight himself, which felt like a huge connected moment with the entire crowd.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As the set continued, songs like “FUNERAL GREY,” “High Definition,” and “Not Warriors” kept the energy bouncing between high power and high emotion. Waterparks has always been good at that balance, never letting the show stay too stagnant.

Now came the most anxiety-filled part I’ve ever been at a concert, and this feeling hasn’t changed even though it’s the fourth time I’ve been through it. Awsten Knight comes out on stage with nothing but an acoustic guitar and plans to make Twitter really mad. This was such an amazing juxtaposition of energy from the rest of the show; it is truly a moment to stop and connect with Knight.

Hearing “Last Heaven” live was a dream come true, let alone the fact that it was its live debut. The move into “Snow Globe” made the awe hit me even harder. The room quieted for a moment when the song started, and then roared into cheers when everyone realized what song it was. Moments like these, where the crowd is waiting in anticipation, make long trips like these worth it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And if you know anything about Awsten Knight, you know that calm energy doesn’t last very long. After six surprise songs, the energy snapped right back into “I Miss Having S*x but at Least I Don’t Wanna Die,” with band members Geoff Wigington and Otto Wood emerging from the background almost magically as the song picks up. As the show barreled into its final stretch, songs like “REAL SUPER DARK,” “Turbulent,” and especially “TANTRUM” brought everything back to its full intensity. TANTRUM is one of my favorites; it’s loud and messy in the most perfect way.

As all bands do nowadays, Waterparks did a fake-out show ending and came back one last time with “LIKE IT,” arguably their silliest song, but such a fun way to end the show.

What really makes going to shows like these so enjoyable isn’t just the music; it’s the combination of everything. While getting songs like “Peach,” “Dream Boy,” and “Snow Globe” all in one night is definitely a top 10 experience ever…the people, the energy, and the unexpected moments you can’t recreate are really what make it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can find out more about Waterparks here: Spotify // Instagram // Twitter

Setlist:
Intro
1. Blonde
2. SNEAKING OUT OF HEAVEN
3. F**K ABOUT IT
Happiness
4. Stupid For You
5. Peach (Lobotomy) – crowd choice over Telephone
6. Dream Boy
7. FUNERAL GREY
Sadness
8. High Definition
9. Not Warriors – crowd choice over Gloom Boys
10. Crybaby
11. I Felt Younger When We Met
Surprise Songs (all acoustic snippets)
12. Last Heaven – live debut
13. Glitter Times
14. You’d Be Paranoid Too (If Everyone Was Out to Get You)
15. Bones of ’92 – first time since 2016
16. Snow Globe
17. Lucky People – crowd choice over 21 Questions
18. I Miss Having Sex but at Least I Don’t Wanna Die
Anticipation
19. IF LYRICS WERE CONFIDENTIAL
20. RED GUITAR
21. PROWLER – unreleased
22. ANY MINUTE NOW
Anger
23. TANTRUM
24. REAL SUPER DARK
25. Turbulent
Encore
26. LIKE IT