Written & Photographed by : Killian O’Neil

It’s a very rare occasion when I am in North Philadelphia and actually feel safe; this last Saturday was one of those times. As my Uber pulled up to The Met Theatre, I was greeted by a hand full of security guards, accompanied by a wall of walk-through metal detectors. The entrance of The Met was sectioned off with chain link fences that had fake grass woven throughout the openings. It turned out to be a pop-up beer garden, and a DJ was spinning Emo/EDM remixes. Everyone either had a drink in hand or was chatting amongst themselves, bopping around. Despite the heatwave that was ripping through the city, the excitement of the night seemed to trump the thermostat reading 100 degrees.

Once I entered the venue, it was wall-to-wall with people every which way. I had about 10 minutes to kill before the night began, so I did what anyone would do, and I went to stand in line for merchandise. The line was wrapped around the staircase, overflowing onto the second floor of the venue. I overheard the couple behind me getting frantic because they were worried they’d miss Something Corporate because the line was “so long.” It really shouldn’t come as a shock, seeing as it’s been nearly 14 years since they went on tour. What makes it even wilder is that this was the first time in 20 years that all five of the original members were on the road together. We were definitely in store for a very special night. I myself have been waiting for this moment patiently since I was 14. A little longer wasn’t going to make a difference.

Something Corporate came on right after nine p.m., following their opener, Days Away, who had one hell of a set. Keeping the theme of indie rock for the evening, they got the crowd roaring to go and singing along to every song they played. It was my first time seeing them, but it was quite clear they have been doing this for a very long time. I was only able to catch the end of their set, but what I did catch was profound. Right before they played their last song, the lead singer said, “It’s kind of beautiful that you can write a piece of something and give it to the world,” and immediately after, everyone went crazy.

Once Days Away ended, it was finally time for something corporate. The music cut and the lights dimmed, and next thing you know, Andrew McMahon is skipping out onto the stage. He was dressed in a white button-down, black suspenders, and black dress pants, which completely suited the evening that was in store. The band immediately went into the song “Straw Dog” without anybody in the audience missing a beat with the lyrics.

Continuing the high energy of the night, they bang out “I Want to Save You” and “She Paints Me Blue,” with a mix of nostalgia and memories penetrating the air. There wasn’t a single person who wasn’t singing along with their eyes closed, getting transported to their formative years. There were 21 songs played that night, and the band left little time for pauses and transitions.

They played every hit, including “Punk Rock Princess.” During this song, Andrew went and grabbed his daughter, bringing her out on stage. They both sang it together and danced around the stage, e

ating up every moment. Ending that song on a strong note, Andrew jumped into the crowd and ran around singing to finish it off. Following it was “I Woke Up in A Car,” and that is when I believe I lost my voice. The last time I sang along this much, it was at Taylor Swift! The lights cut and all filed off.

A few moments later, after echos of “one more song” chants and screaming from the crowd, Andrew walks out on stage, walks to his piano, and takes a seat. At this point, everyone was losing it because there was still one song in particular that had yet to be played. The first key was hit, and the crowd started to sing in unison, “Konstantine.” It’s a seven-minute beautiful song, mainly on the piano, and seeing it live was out of this world. The emotions were swirling for everyone that was in the crowd that night. I swear I saw a girl crying in front of me. The second-to-last song that evening was a throwback of all throwbacks to close out the night, for real this time. It was none other than “If You See Jordan.”.

The synergy I saw that night on the stage between the bands is something that you don’t see often. It is quite clear that their brotherhood has weathered the seasons of life together. Which has transferred beautifully to the stage. Every single one of the members of Something Corporate was having the time of their life, and you could tell that. Everyone was feeling something on some level that night. In the middle of the evening, Andrew said to the crowd, “You can’t manufacture magic; you just have to try to put yourself on the path, and if goddamn, tonight wasn’t magic.” That’s exactly what this night was to not only them but to everyone in attendance.

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Written and Photographed by Killian O’Neil

A certain type of joy comes from finding a band that hasn’t yet blown up and is on its way. It’s almost comparable to Christmas morning when you’re opening your presents. This past summer, I got to experience that for the first time in a while with Don Broco. They were one of the supporting bands on tour with The Used and Pierce The Veil. I remember thinking, “holy shit, these guys are amazing; what rock have they been hiding under” when I saw them in July at the Stone Pony in Ashbury Park, NJ.

I soon learned Don Broco was from Bedford, England, which explained everything I needed to know. I was beyond stoked to hear that they were coming back to Philly so soon after just being on tour. The only difference about this time was that they were the headliners. 

It was finally the night of the concert, and the city was abuzz. Don Broco was playing at the TLA, which meant good sound and an intimate setting. It was also a Sold Out Show to make the deal even sweeter. As I walked up to the venue, a line started forming about a block from the box office. It was clear that most of the fans standing in line discovered them this past summer on that same tour. The line for admission into the TLA was single filed and riddled with different colored hair and a slew of black makeup. Upon entering the venue, you’re immediately hit with a jam-packed merch line and another line for bathrooms. My only concern was finding a spot to stand with a clear view of the stage.

I was taken back by the age demographic of this concert. Everyone and their mother were there. I looked to my left, and two children were running around no older than 12, and to my right, there was a couple in their mid-30s; no one was being left out tonight. Within minutes of arriving inside, the lights started to dim, and the house music started to play, queuing the show’s beginning. The night started with a band called The Color 8, who blew my mind with their rock/screamo/jazz hybrid. They were a three-piece band with a drummer, a frontman, and a guitarist; the frontman also doubled as a saxophone player. The entire ensemble was goddamn brilliant. It would switch from screaming to a heavy bass and finish with a buttery saxophone. I never would have thought to put those different elements together, but thank god someone did. The next band up that night was called Ryan Oakes, another three-piece band with a drummer, guitarist, and a frontman/MC. Now these guys were more so punk-pop goes rap with some Lofi beats mixed in. Ryan Oakes was a true MC and talent on the mic and knew how to control a stage and room. They almost reminded me of The Beastie Boys, with how some of their songs are arranged with the rap mixed into it with live drums. The entire crowd was entranced and singing along with every lyric.

The Home Team, a band out of Washington state, was up next. They were the other headliners that evening and had the stage set with neon lights at different heights to frame them while performing. Every time they played a song, the lights behind them went off in various colors along with the beat. They played true pop punk, and their singer’s voice reminded me of a young Johnny Craig. Unfortunately, it was hard for me to hear them fully because the vocalist’s mic was turned down so low against all the other instruments, which ultimately drowned them out. When the band ended their set, it was shared with the crowd how big of an influence Don Broco had on them. They mention how this was their 2nd time going on tour with them, and they did four years ago as well. Once The Home Team wrapped up, It was finally time for Don Broco.

Everyone was geared up, and the room was filled wall to wall; it felt like I was living in a sardine can. The lights cut, the music stopped, and a spotlight hit the stage. One by one, the guys came out, and of course, in true fashion, Rob, lead singer of Don Broco, came out sporting what appeared to be a fan-made shirt that said, “I Love Don Broco.” The energy was exactly as I remember before powerful and electric. The way they harness the energy on stage reminds me so much of The Used with their showmanship. The band wasted no time and went right into their first song of the night, “Gumsheild,” and the crowd went wild. I can’t recall a moment other than when Rob talked to fans; he pulled up on stage where he stood still. No matter what, he was expelling energy and putting on a show. Don Broco played all the fan favorites off their two most recent albums, Amazing Things and Technology. Halfway through the show, Rob stopped performing and pointed out that there was a 10-year-old crowd surfing and brought him and his brother up on stage. There, he compared his mullet with the little boy’s and told the crowd to watch out for each other in the mosh pit. Every time I looked up, Rob would be wearing a different color cowboy hat that a fan had given him; at the show’s beginning, it was pink, then it was black, then it was pink again. No matter what happens, this band is always having fun and a good time. Their newest release, “Birthday Party,” was played, and DB brought up all of the musicians of the evening on stage to help them play it out. After that, they closed the evening with one of their biggest hits, “Everybody.” The entire TLA started yelling the lyrics and screaming. Once Don Broco silently exited the stage, the fans relentlessly demanded an encore. They chanted for at least a minute before the sold-out crowd got what they wanted. Ask, and you shall receive because the band filed back out, went into “Fingernails,” and closed the night with “T-shirt Song.” I am baffled at how amazing these dudes are because it’s just them doing what they love and doing it well. This band’s sound is a treat, from the guitar to the drums to the bass to Rob. Every part of these guys is authentic!

The vocals alone will take you on a journey like no other, and the rest of the band will put you under a spell. Rob mentioned during the show that this was the first time they had a sold-out show in Philadelphia. Let me tell you what: it may have been their first to sell out, but I promise it won’t be their last. These guys are hot and just getting started.

You can visit Don Broco online at:

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My dream of being able to listen to live music while sitting on comfy couches finally came to fruition this past Saturday night at The Living Room in Ardmore. I had the absolute pleasure of attending a night of music hosted by the one and only That Mag of Philadelphia. The MC for the evening was no other than Brian Cronin, the publication’s publisher. That Mag has always presented live music nights and sponsored various open mic nights in Philadelphia. Due to the pandemic, it had stopped, and this was the first artist showcase since then.

It was a cold and stormy fall night, and the rain fell in buckets. As I walked into the venue, I was greeted with a wave of warmth from inside. The lights were dim to almost a candle lit, and the seats were full. It was exactly what I hoped for, with a welcoming, intimate atmosphere. The way that the living room is set up is that the room is sectioned off into two separate sections. The room starts at the front of the stage and goes almost all of the way back, and that part is filled with couches, which is the VIP. The rest of the room is GA and filled with comfy chairs and tables to sit at and enjoy as well. Couples and people were cozied on the couches, awaiting the night’s performers.

The lineup consisted of Maria Arroyo, Nick Lombardo and The Decent OK Duo, and Pawnshop Roses. All are local musicians who have been weaving themselves throughout the Philadelphia Music scene.

Maria was first up, and she is a local singer-songwriter. While opening the show, she explained that she makes “sad girl” music. I couldn’t have been more excited because I’m the biggest emo girl at heart. Like any true artist, she turns her pain into a work of art, with her ballads of heartbreak and pain. Maria made the stage look like her home with how she commanded it. Not to mention, her song’s lyrics are relatable to anyone with a pulse. From heartbreak to taking back your power, she covers it all, and you don’t want to miss out on her powerhouse voice and runs.

Next up was Nick Lombardo and The Decent OK duo. Typically, they play as a band, but this night, they featured Nick Lombardo and his Lead Guitarist, James Gaffield. Nick would come out to MilkBoy South‘s Home Grown open mic nights before the pandemic and play there. Now he had the stage and was sharing it with his exceptionally talented Lead Guitarist James. Watching the two of them on stage was a real treat. If it wasn’t Nick belting out those lyrics, it was James countering on the guitar. I couldn’t tell if I was listening to 90’s indie music or was at a rock concert in the 70s. Either way, I was getting lost in the sound and loving every second of it.

I am looking forward to seeing them again and with a full band. If you can listen to them play live, I highly suggest it.

Last but not least, Pawnshop Roses headlined the night. A Folk-Rock band that mixes influences of bluegrass and sounds of Americana into their sound. Pawnshop Roses is a five-piece band who have nothing but a blast as they perform on stage. They have been a staple in the Philadelphia music scene for the last twenty-one years, and they continue to push out music that is uniquely their own. Their sound reminds me of if The Avett Brothers had a hard rock cousin, from how they tell a story through their music to how they sound only like themselves. One second, I was in my feels with some of the lyrics, and the next moment, my foot wouldn’t stop tapping. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what they sound like because each song differs from the next. They are certainly in a league of their own, to say the least, I’m pretty mad I have just discovered them because they are that good. The energy the guys bring onto the stage is refreshing and rare. The band’s frontman was jumping around the entire time and feeding off the bassist living in his world while ripping away at the chords. It was a blast hearing musicians play just for the love of the music. These days, the set lists consist of newer and older songs from the last 21 years. The evening ended with the most recent digital release from The Pawnshop Roses called “Not What it Used to Be,” which is them tipping their hat at growing older and growing up and living life differently at 40 than 20.

This evening was action-packed and full of talent from start to finish. I think it is a wonderful platform,That Mag gives for local musicians. It enables them to show off their talent and continue to work towards their dream of being musicians and performing. I am eager to see when the next one happens and what is brought to the table.

Pawnshop Roses

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Nick Lombardo and the Decent OK

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Maria Arroyo

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Written by Killian O’Neil

Photographed by Bryce Hall

Could you ever imagine standing in a sea of people with rain pelting down your face and all your clothes sopping wet? Mentally, at this point, you’re starting to not only feel but resemble a wet dog. If someone told me I would experience that one day, I would say, “fuck that,” and walk away. However, that is exactly how my Monday night was spent. I had the pleasure of seeing The Used play a co-headlining tour with Pierce the Veil and Don Brocco, it wasn’t my traditional way to kick off a work week, but I dug it. 

The night was already off to a crazy start before I arrived at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Mother nature had a mind of her own that evening. The weather was calling for some gnarly storms, the type of storms that postpone shows. Truthfully, I thought they were going to cancel the concert, but it was a Rain or Shine event. When I finally got to the venue, the line for entry was wrapped around the building not once but twice. As I was walking up to the Stone Pony, a wave of 2006 nostalgia washed over me. A crowd of fishnets and studded belts was everywhere alongside a sea of black. The crowd was an even 50/50 split for fans of The Used and Pierce the Veil, and it was abundantly clear who was a fan of what. I knew that the night would be memorable for two essential factors: the first was a sold-out show, and the second was that the weather was already calling for torrential downpours, thunder, and lightning. The only ones crazy enough to stand in that climate are the die-hard fans. The air was cool and balmy, reminding me how it felt before a giant summer rainstorm. The fog was rolling in, in every direction, and it had been overcast the entire day; you could not spot the Sun anywhere in the sky. The only thing that was important was getting in and securing a solid spot in the crowd with a good view. 

Upon entering the Summer Stage, it gave the feeling of the warped tour with the metal barricades, makeshift merch tents, and black asphalt. The only thing I was concerned with was what was the best place to stand with the incoming weather. Once my spot was secure, it took little to no time for the evening to commence. First, before anything, the venue had to address the crowd with a PSA about the weather. Staff came on the Mic and gave us directions on what to do in case an evacuation occurred, how dangerous the night could potentially be, and how to be safe. After all, this makeshift outside the venue was just a bunch of metal barricades and electronics.

Don Brocco was the first band that jumped on stage around 6:15 to start the night. Personally, I have never been so entranced by an opener in my life. All you need to know is that a British man with a curly mullet and the rest of his band knows how to get down and shred. They’re a four-piece rock band out of the UK and form like seasoned Veteriny Vets. Rob, the lead singer’s vocal registry is unlike any I have ever heard in a long time; I don’t think there’s a note he couldn’t hit. I can tell you this; Don Brocco has that extra shot of star power. This isn’t the last time we will be hearing about them in the US. Once they exited the stage, there was about a 25-minute grace period until the next band came on, which typically would have been the band, girlfriends, but due to the weather, they could not play. To my surprise, Pierce the Veil came on shortly after and played. Right before they came out, the heavens opened up and decided we all needed a bath. The rain was so heavy that I couldn’t see without squinting, and my new hoodie (now being worn) was getting rung out every few minutes because of how Saturated it was with rainwater. As soon as PTV wrapped their set, their fans exited the lot, which meant it was about time for The Used. 

We were cold, we were soaking wet, and we were ready for The Used to finish out the night with a bang. The smoke went off, and the strobes started; the stage covered in pink roses and out appeared a wild Bert Mccracken center stage. Suddenly, the Intro to “Take it Away” started emulating from the speakers. Everyone erupted in unison when they heard Bert sing the first note. The crowd was singing at the top of their lungs; remember, it was still raining as the concert continued. At least now The Used was playing, so it made the rain disappear and being wet more tolerable. Bert was without shoes and roaring to talk about how it was “squishy” under his feet on stage. He also told us that he wanted to have “Unprotected sex with each and every one of us,” and that made everyone need to change their panties. Their set list for the evening consisted of all fan favorites, “The Bird and the Worm,” “I Caught Fire,” “The Taste of Ink,” “I’m A Fake,” “Pretty Handsome Adventures,” and “Box Full of Sharp Objects.” In addition, they also played two of their new songs, “Give Up and Fuck You, “which the crowd seemed to know every lyric to as well. My favorite part of the night was Bert brought up Rob Damiani from Don Brocco to do “A Box Full of Sharp Objects” with him. Bert and Rob together on stage is something that I hope to see again. They have great chemistry and complement each other very well. Rob’s screaming blends in with Bert’s singing so perfectly that you can hardly tell it’s two people doing a duet. They closed the show strong with “Pretty Handsome Awkward,” and a circle pit formed in the crowd.

There were a few hiccups during the night with the weather, but that’s what made Monday night so much fun, the unexpected. I couldn’t tell you another band I willingly would stand outside in teaming rain for, but I would do it again in a heartbeat. The Used always brings love and authentic energy to every show they play, and they can see it on stage. Tonight was yet again another one for the books.

The Used

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Don Brocco

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Pierce the Veil

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According to Google, the definition of Toxic Positivity is “the pressure to only display positive emotions, suppressing any negative emotions, feelings, reactions or experiences. ” That term has become a social norm in our society today; it’s absolutely sickening. Humans have been conditioned to ignore the truth of our feelings and pretend everything is okay to keep the status quo. So it is no surprise that The Used and John Feldman teamed together once again to produce an album and claimed to have fallen into it Toxic Positivity. 

With Feldman and The Used in the same studio together again, the only certain thing is that the Magic will be made. Feldman has produced a handful of their albums, ranging from their self-debut album The Used in 2001 to their most recent release in 2020 called Heartwork. He is the Peanut butter to the band’s jelly and has been for over the last 23 years. They have worked hand in hand and produced hits like “The Bird and the Worm,” “I Caught Fire,” “Take it Away,” and many more. The Synergy between them is like no other I have ever encountered. Feldman is an essential keystone in the success and career of The Used, and how they create is so fluid and utterly Sympatico.

If you know anything about The Used, you know they like to push boundaries and speak their truth no matter how harsh it may come out or whom it may piss off. The band has used their career to express their most vulnerable moments and intimate Traumas they have been through and transmute them into a work of artistry. It reminds the rest of the world and their fans that nobody is alone. Toxic Positivity is no exception to this formula that the boys have used for the last 23 years with how they write music. This album showcases Frontman Bert Mccracken‘s “most sincere words he has ever written,” focusing on mental health and well-being over the last few years. On the coattails of the pandemic, Toxic Positivity claims to act as an outlet for The Used and express all of the struggles that have internally been going on for the last three years, which is a direct result of living in this weird hell that has become a life in a Pandemonium era. 

This album keeps the integrity of everything that makes a Used album great. It plays as if someone took a bite of the sound from each album, remixed it, and decided to call it Toxic Positivity. The 11-track album pulls you in immediately; the first track, “Worst I’ve Ever Been,” kicks off with the old sounds of heavy drums and guitar. Bert even returned to his roots of screaming for a portion of this song. My two favorite songs off this album are “Pinky Swear” and “Top of the World,” which couldn’t be more opposite. If you’re looking for that OG sound from The Used, look no further; the song is filled with heavy riffs, drums, and tons of screaming. Part of the chorus is “Save me, I need to know what it feels like before I fade away, “it almost sounds like it could belong on their second album, Maybe Memories, with how it all flows together. The second song that was a pleasant surprise for me was “Top of the World,” As an avid listener; I was initially unsure. It starts with their signature drum sound and transitions into a light pop esq. I don’t know if it was the lyrics or just how catchy the hook is, but I can’t stop playing the song. Toxic Positivity is an album that directly explains the aftershock of Covid-19 and what they went through. In this deeply personal album, The Used shines a beacon of light with their raw gut-punching lyrics that you are, in fact, not alone in this vast universe. I highly suggest you take it for a spin.

The Used

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Photos Provided by TAS Management

Barbara Walters was right when she said, “Taylor Swift was the Music Industry.” Ms. Swift’s music has acted as the soundtrack and unpaid therapist for this generation throughout the world since her debut in 2006. Taylor has always been in a league of her own, to say the least. 

Let’s take a quick trip down memory lane to recap. It started at 16 when she released her first single, “Tim McGraw,” after being discovered in Nashville, Tennessee. Taylor was at an industry showcase called The Bluebird Café in 2005 and captured the attention of Scott Borchetta, who at the time was a Dreamworks Records executive. Soon after she signed with him, “Tim McGraw” was released and was quickly followed up with her Debut Album, Taylor Swift, which jumpstarted her career and took her to the top of country music almost overnight. Once she arrived at the top of the Country game, she wanted to transcend into something more and found her place in the pop world, where she still makes waves. When TS was younger, she would write songs by “grabbing inspiration from books and movies,” said the pop star in her documentary “Miss Americana.” There is always an element of imagination in her storytelling as a songwriter. Taylor became the youngest person in history to write and perform a number-one country song in 2006. One thing that has always rung true for her is how she is undeniably authentic in everything she does. TS is so rooted in who she is that not even the biggest gust of wind can put her fire out, many have tried, and none have succeeded. Taylor makes her life transparent to the world, which allows her to connect with fans in a way that has never been done before. It’s as if each song she releases is a diary entry, and each Album is a window into her life. The lyrics are always relatable in some way, shape, or form. Her words remind us that she is just like everyone else, trying to weather her storm. 

The way Taylor has her songs produced is a pure work of art; how the lyrics are strung together makes you feel like it is something out of a book you can’t stop reading but, in this case, listening to. The vulnerability that exists in doing that is immeasurable, but there is a definite duality of both being vulnerable and transparent. To act in full transparency, especially as an artist in the spotlight, you must also be vulnerable and put it all out there. Which is one of the hardest things a person ever has to do, yet somehow, Taylor does it effortlessly. By no means has her life been a walk in the park regarding her relationship with music and the media . TS has endured an exceeding amount of bullshit throughout her career, which all was being thrust into the forefront while she simultaneously was trying to focus on her next step with the music. With an artist like TS, the more success she achieved, the more people wanted to tear it down. Reporters and tabloids have put her life under a microscope and exploited her for things everyone else would do to fit their own narrative.

Unlike other artists, it was different for TS because she was automatically labeled “America’s Sweetheart” right out of the gate by the labels and media, who tried to pigeonhole her to one standard. Which is immensely difficult when you don’t ask for that title in the first place and are trying to grow into who you are at 16. Despite all her hardships, Taylor has always handled each situation with poise, grace, and elegance.

Having 12 Grammy Awards and three of the 12 being “Album of the Year,” Fearless(08′), 1989 (16′), and Folklore(21′), it’s a testament that she has only just begun. TS is an unstoppable talent and force that has found her voice and made it clear that she isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. 

Taylor Swift has been paving the way for the last 18 years since stepping into the spotlight; now, at 33, she only continues to raise the bar. Her latest endeavor involves Breaking Ticketmaster and making millions of people’s dreams come true in minutes. This past November, she announced on Good Morning America and through her different social media platforms that she was going back on tour. Not just any tour, it takes you on a journey through the eras of her career from the beginning to her latest release, Midnight. 

I don’t know how many people know that TS is from West Reading, Pennsylvania, and not Nashville, Tennessee, but I sure did, and so did the rest of the Philly Tri-state area. The morning the news broke that Taylor was doing a three-day run in Philadelphia was the only thing people were talking about. It was also all over my news feed and the local news for at least a week. The Pinterest boards were being created to correlate what outfit to wear for which era; it was wild. The tickets were yet to be on sale, and people were taking off work to ensure they could see her in the flesh. It was like it was the second coming. Some people already bought an outfit before their ticket. 

November 15th,2022, was the date that the presale tickets for Ticketmaster went on sale for all of the Swifties. If you didn’t know, that’s Taylor’s fan base, which comprises millions of amazing humans who seem to love sequins and glitter as much as the queen herself. Let’s keep in mind that the 15th was the date for the presale; the actual date of release of the rest of the tickets was November 18th. Ticketmaster had a verified fan program to ensure an easy process to get tickets and weed out the bots due to high demand. They anticipated madness but nothing quite like this. Over 3.5 million people pre-registered for her presale, which was three days before the actual sale date. It turned out to be the largest pre-registration in Ticketmaster history. Ticketmaster stated, “Historically, around 40% of invited fans actually show up and buy tickets, and most purchase an average of 3 tickets. Around 1.5 million people were sent codes to join the presale for all 52 show dates, including the 47 sold by Ticketmaster. The remaining 2 million Verified Fans were placed on a waiting list on the small chance that tickets might still be available after those who received codes had shopped.” Ticketmaster also stated, “Historically, we’ve managed huge volume coming into the site to shop for tickets, so those with Verified Fan codes have a smooth shopping process. However, this time the staggering number of bot attacks as well as fans who didn’t have codes drove unprecedented traffic on our site, resulting in 3.5 billion total system requests – 4x our previous peak.” In a nutshell, Ticketmaster couldn’t work at the capacity they originally promised Taylor, and it crashed. “Over 2 million tickets were sold on Ticketmaster for Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour on November 15th – the most tickets ever sold for an artist in a single day”. Ultimately they ran out of tickets during the presale and had to cancel the public on-sale. Ticketmaster released a few groups of tickets, a handful at a time, with staggered sales weeks apart following the madness of November 15th to ensure that people could still get some chance at getting a ticket. Not only was there already an insane amount of hype for this concert, now there was a slight chance of even getting tickets that weren’t through a reseller. I even heard of people taking personal loans or tapping into their life savings to purchase a ticket to one of the three days in Philadelphia. 

The dates for Philadelphia for the eras tour were May 12,13,14, which has some personal ties for Taylor, seeing as it’s in her hometown and it was Mother’s Day weekend. There has been a ton of speculation on the internet and within the Swiftie fan base that it’s not an accident that she played on the 13th, which is her lucky number, and it happened to be in Philly. It’s also not lost on me that she had her parents come out for Mother’s Day this weekend as well as some of her closest friends showed up at the Linc, which included celebrities such as Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, Nicole Kidman, and Keith Urban, Jennifer Lawrence, Lena Dunham, Sabrina Carpenter, Matt Healy ( who wound up playing with Phoebe Bridgers), Bethenny Frankel, Bo Burnham and Gigi Hadid.

This last weekend was one I will never forget and will talk about for years to come when Taylor’s name gets brought up. I was one of the lucky ones who could attend a day of this monumental tour. I am beyond blessed to have witnessed the most amazing production of my life. 

It’s Showtime:

It was Friday, May 12th, and the day was finally here; I woke up, and it felt like Christmas! A few friends who knew I was reviewing the show greeted me with a “Merry Swiftmas” text instead of Good morning. The city had been buzzing all week long, awaiting this “Taylor Swift Takeover” and how to prepare the sports complex for the wave of sequins and glitter that was about it hit. All the local bars in the suburbs were doing TS trivia; some even gave lucky winners tickets to her show. The last time there was this much coverage on a Philadelphia concert was for Live 8 in 2005. Every media outlet was set up outside of the Lincoln Financial Field. The traffic getting down to the Stadium was something I had never seen and swore I wouldn’t ever be a part of, but hell, it’s Taylor Swift. What typically is a 15 minute drive took me an hour and a half. Luckily I decided to Uber and hopped out right at Xfinity Live and made my way Inside.

I had to take a moment to stop and take in the entire environment. It was something out of a movie; my imagination could never have imagined what my eyes witnessed. Everyone was in head-to-toe glitter or sequins and cowboy boots by the masses. Little girls, teenagers, mothers, and even grown women filed in line to enter. Upon entry, they handed everyone a wristband with lights that would later light up randomly to accompany the performance. As I made my way to my seat, I was starting to get that feeling I seldom do when I’m about to experience something magical. It took roughly 30 minutes to navigate the sea of pink and fringe sequins. By the time I reached my seat, Gayle was already underway, who was the first supporting artist of the night. You may know her for her hit single “ABCDEFU,” released in 2021.

My seats were terrific, and I had a clear view of the stage without looking over people. I was close enough that TS wasn’t going to look like an ant but far enough not to have to deal with looking up at the stage instead of directly at it. Imagine a runway with a 110 ft story tv behind it, and in the middle of the runway, it opens into a diamond and goes back into a runway with a rectangle at the end. That’s what the stage looked like, and tall light structures held speakers at each point.

Phoebe Bridgers was up next and entered the stage with Down with the Sickness by Disturbed playing throughout the Stadium and went right into her song “Motion Sickness.” Phoebe was a real treat and had the crowd fully engaged. Phoebe also had Matt Healy on guitar while on stage during her performance. It has been rumored that Matt and TS are dating, so that was a real fun surprise for the crowd when they realized he was on stage. Phoebe played for about 45 minutes.

Once she got off stage, it became real that Taylor Swift was about to go on. Everyone was scurrying around last minute to either get drinks, go to the bathroom, or grab some merch. The clock started approaching eight o’clock, and when I looked around, every seat that was once empty in the arena now had a person in it. The weather that night couldn’t have been more perfect, it was a beautiful night with zero humidity, and the sun was setting. At 7:58, a Giant analog stopwatch appeared on the screen while the speakers played “you don’t own me” by Leslie Gore. The stopwatch was set to “2:22,” which initiated the countdown till Taylor was on stage. 

As the clock struck eight, the bottom of the 110-foot screen opened up, and seven dancers floated out onto the stage down the runway with fog trailing behind them. The song “Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince” played through the speakers at a low volume, steadily getting louder. The dancers had beautiful life-size fans on their backs, which looked like peacock feathers. The colors of these fans were pastel purple, pink, and orange, like a rainbow Sherbert sky but on a piece of silk fabric. Once each dancer was out on the stage and in proper positions, they started their choreography. I’d never seen something so perfectly done; four dancers were in the front of the diamond and three in the back. It was so fluid and whimsical and set the tone for the rest of the evening. Once they reached the middle of the diamond, space opened up for the dancers in the front, and three dancers in the back flipped the fan down over the runway. When they stood up, Taylor Swift appeared on a platform coming out of the stage. Dressed in a gorgeous silver sequin bodysuit and knee-high silver heeled boots. 

TS popped out, and without missing a beat, she greeted this insane crowd with a playful “Oh, hi Philly!!” and grinned and continued right into her song “Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince,” she does some crowd work. She transitions right into “The Man” After finishing “The Man,” someone hands her a pale pink acoustic guitar. She walks up to the microphone; Taylor addresses the sold-out show with, “Whether you are aware of it or not, you have walked into my hometown show,” and the fans erupt into cheers. She wrapped up the lover’s era with “The Archer.” It was obvious what song was next with the Gold firework-like comet raining down from the top of the 110 ft screen onto the stage; it was “Fearless.” Before Moving into the era, she thanked the openers for killing it earlier that night. 

Then TS jumped right back into the Fearless era and powered through songs “Fearless,” “You Belong with Me,” and ending with “Love Story.” The crowd went absolutely crazy during “Love Story.” It was, after all, one of the singles off that Album; how could you not belt that song out at the top of your lungs? As “Love Story” was being performed, the sun finally set, and everyone’s wrists were blinking with different colors in the Stadium, all interchangeably, giving it a light show effect for the rest of the concert.

During the Evermore era, a gorgeous white moss-covered grand piano got rolled out. “Tis the Damn Season,” “Willow,” “Marjorie,” “Champagne Problems,” and “Tolerate It,” which are all super emotional charged songs on the album. When Taylor wrapped up “Marjorie” and got up from the piano, she thanked the fans that night for showing so much love. She explained how special that song was to her and how meaningful it was to play it in that Stadium in particular. Especially since she was back in Philadelphia and spent her childhood growing up here on a farm, spending time with family, it’s written about her grandmother, who has passed on.

Once again, grinding away with the evening going into the Reputation era without missing a beat. Taylor kicked that era off with “Ready for It” and made a segway into “Delicate,” “Don’t Blame Me,” and ended with “Look What You Made Me Do.” The stage sets were mind-blowing for each era. The one set that still stood out is “Look What You Made Me Do.” Taylor had six dancers in glass boxes at the back of the stage closest to the screen. Each box had a dancer dressed as a different ‘version of Taylor” throughout the years. It was mind-blowing how it was done. The dancers weren’t only just dressed as her but were also miming the entire time. For her only song from “Speak Now,” she came onto the stage slowly with a gorgeous purple bell ball gown that was covered in what appeared to be hand-sewn beads and started to belt out “Enchanted.” It was understated but just enough, with the fog rolling out behind her.

After that era ended, she wasted little time and kicked off Red; each song was her own version. That included “22,” “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together (Taylor’s Version),” “I Knew You Were Trouble”(Taylor’s version),” and “All Too Well.” As well as a gorgeous duet with supporting artist Phoebe Bridgers performing “Nothing New (Taylor’s Version)” While they were wrapping up “Nothing New,” she made the comment, “and we have ten extra minutes” and started on her version of “All Too Well.” Which was also a very big crowd-pleaser that night; it honestly brought tears to my eyes with how emotional the Stadium was at that point in the show. I wouldn’t think it was possible to do some of the things Taylor was doing on stage at the pace she was doing with the footwear she was sporting. It was amazing.

Next up, we have Folklore which she told us how it was created during covid and was a made-up persona. TS also expressed that during covid, her coping mechanism was “writing her feelings down then singing them with everyone.” So thank you, covid, for having her write this! The songs during that era were “The 1,” “Betty,” “The Last Great American Dynasty,” “August,” “Illicit Affairs,” and “My Tears Ricochet and Cardigan.” It was where everything slowed down for a bit for everyone to catch their breath, but that didn’t last long.

The entire energy of the Stadium shifted as soon as the first chord for “Style” was played as we headed into the era of 1989; it was time to dance and pick it up a bit. After that, she went into “Blank Space” (another huge crowd favorite), “Shake It Off,” “Wildest Dreams (Taylor’s Version),” and last but not least, “Bad Blood.” Now that song, that set, that was something. I didn’t know what we were shifting into at one point, it was edgy and fun, and then the next thing I knew, during the chorus at the top of the speaker posts, pyro technics came out with full-blown fire. I was decently close to them, and it was heating the Stadium for sure. 

It was time to wind down again and hear the surprise songs, one of the most anticipated parts of her tour. It’s where Taylor takes requests and plays two different acoustic songs a night. Luckily for Philly, on night one we got “Gold Rush,” the first time it was performed live, and “Come Back, Be Here.” The debate was also settled about the song lyric in “Gold Rush” referring to the Eagles shirt hanging on the door. She says, “There was sort of a, I don’t know how large the debate was, but I did see the debate about how a lyric that says ‘with my Eagles T-shirt hanging from the door’… I saw some people wondering if it was the band Eagles or the team the Eagles” and then adds, “And I love the band the Eagles,” Swift noted, “but guys, like come on. I’m from Philly. Of course it’s the team.”. Shortly after that, the part of the floor seating directly in front of the stage erupted into a momentary E-A-G-L-E-S chant in typical Philly fashion. She wraps up with “Come Back, Be Here” per Phoebe Bridgers’s request. The crowd lost it for both acoustic songs, and she disappeared into the stage by “diving” into it, which made it appear that she was swimming up the stage via graphics on the background. I glanced at the time, and it was a quarter till 11, and I thought to myself, how the hell is she about to fit seven more songs into this night? She has done every era, and it’s time for the grand finale. 

Taylor appears on stage in a lavender sequin shirt dress and a giant furry-like purple coat as she sings “Lavender Haze” from her latest Album, Midnight. She then goes into “Anti-Hero,” has an outfit change into a dark blue sequin fringe dress, and hops right into “Midnight Rain,” “Vigilante “h*t.” “Bejeweled,” “Mastermind,” and ended the show with “Karma.” During the finale song, there was so much energy it was overwhelming in the best possible way. Nobody wanted the night to end. As the last lyrics were being sung, “Karma is my boyfriend, karma is a God, karmas a relaxing thought,” fireworks launched off the top of the Linc. Taylor thanked the crowd repeatedly as she took her bows and had her incredible team of dancers bow with her. Two things I learned that night; one: Don’t ever underestimate the power of Taylor Swift. And two: I needed to acquire a pair of sequin boots for my closet sooner rather than later.

During the entire era tour, Taylor plays a straight three-hour set, without any breaks, roughly 43 songs. That covers nine of her albums, including Lover, Fearless, Evermore, Reputation, Speak Now, Red, Folklore, 1989, and last but not least, her latest and greatest, Midnight. I was so captivated by not only just Taylor but the production she puts on. It left me at a loss for words multiple times that night because somehow she just put on the biggest sold-out show, yet it was one of the most intimate performances I’ve ever witnessed. Everything from the light shows the dancers and choreographers, the costumes, and last and most importantly, not least, the set design. The dancers, as well as Taylor, were so fluid and whimsical during the show. The entire evening I felt that I was witnessing a Broadway show with how theatrical her entire production was; every set had such exquisite detail and complemented each era beautifully. If you could give someone a Grammy for a tour set design, whoever that person is, needs recognition. From start to finish, that night was flawless; It was all done perfectly and meticulously. You can tell how much Taylor cares about what she does by how much effort she puts in for her performance. People can talk all the shit they want about Taylor Swift, but there is a reason she has 12 Grammys, and when you see her in concert, you quickly understand it. 

Taylor is a larger-than-life presence and is up there with the other great musical icons. She is an inspiration and role model to many. NYU has classified Taylor Swift by the institution as “One of the most prolific famous artists of her generation,” after that performance, I couldn’t agree more. Taylor did play two more nights in Philadelphia this past weekend; unfortunately, I was not in attendance. I can tell you that 20,000+ fans decided to join TS in a sing-along outside of the Stadium on both Saturday and Sunday. How many artists can you say can do that?

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By Killian O’Neil Photos By Lead Photographer Liv Foltiny

I walked into AMH around eight that evening and people were slowly starting to file in. The attendance at the beginning of the night was scarce while We are Minka was playing on stage. The lead singer was initially dressed in a silver sequin blazer and silver pants dancing and hitting the keys like they owed him money. But by the end of the set, he was stripped down into silver boy shorts and doing top tier crowd work to keep the energy up. They are a funk synth band from Philadelphia who sound like The Talking Heads and David Bowie. If that is something that tickles your fancy, I suggest you check them out, they are a hell of a time. While We are Minka was wrapping up, the venue started to fill up. 

We Are Minka

AMH was getting so packed that the air was turning humid and damp. If you’ve never been to this venue, think of a smaller version of the TLA and that is exactly what it is. It didn’t take long for We Are Minka to exit the stage and for Dry Reef to set up. In total about a 20-minute exchange. It was right around 8:50 when the lights did a strobe flicker and the boys filed onto the stage.

For those of you who don’t know who Dry Reef is, they are a local band from the greater Philadelphia area. I had the pleasure of interviewing them this last month and finally got to see them play again. Except this time, they were dual headlining and I was able to catch a full set. Friday kicked off a string of shows that they have lined up on the east coast in the coming weeks. This particular night was an extremely intimate setting with it being a hometown show. Friends and family were riddled throughout the crowd in support. It’s easy to be in support of this band when they are that good.

DR went right into the first song New Soul off one of their Ep’s titled, “Alright Revival” that was released in 2018 and immediately drew the crowd in. They played a mix of older songs as well as some newer songs that haven’t been released yet. Mid-set the band mixed it up a bit and threw a bonus cover of “Shadow People” by Dr. Dog in. At first, I was extremely taken aback by hearing the song. Mainly because it’s next to impossible to sound like the lead singer from Dr.Dog and Pat Gillen nailed it. Which goes to show the level of talent he possesses. The rest of the band also was impeccable while playing that song. For a few short moments I thought I time traveled back in time to Denver when I saw Dr. Dog perform. It was so good. 

Being immersed in the music the entire night was the only way to be, there wasn’t a single moment where I wasn’t moving my body. Not a single person was standing still, everyone was dancing to the beat of their own drum while singing along. Dry Reef takes you on a journey when you see them live. They have a magic on stage that draws you in and keeps you there. The Jammy reggae vibe which invades the airwaves is something that puts them ahead of the curve because it is their own sound unlike so many other bands these days. 

The night was wrapped up with “Checkpoints”, a song they released in 2017. The crowd was going wild and the dancing intensified. The atmosphere at this point of the night was what you would expect at a Lotus show. It was a solid three-minute song with a bunch of airy breakdowns riddled throughout. I kept thinking to myself how talented this band is. Each and every one of them are intricate pieces of this band, which comes through when they play. The synergy they share onstage is unmatched. During “Checkpoints” is when I really took notice of Joey, their drummer. Who’s stick handling had me hypnotized on drums and he didn’t fall off click once. He even got the memo not to wear shoes, which is a pro move. Once that song wrapped the crowd begged for an encore. Dry Reef seems to be in the business of making their fans happy, so that is exactly what they did.

It took all of four minutes for the band to not only come back on for the encore but to have an outfit change as well.

Remember when I said that the birds were in the Superbowl? Well, each member of the band came back out in an Eagles jersey. Collin, one of their guitarists, came out sporting an OG Eagles flag worn as a cape along with a helmet and a Jersey. 

The entire room was lit up green from the lights and Eagles chants started to ensue. One second the venue was chanting and screaming. The next second everyone fell silent once Collin hit the first chord of the famous Eagles Fight song on his electric guitar. The shredding that happened during that was absolutely incredible and ended with the building practically shaking while going into the E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES chant. 

 As soon as the chant ended DR made a smooth transition into a wonderful rendition of, “Fly Like An Eagle”and closed out the night. Which couldn’t have been more appropriate seeing as current events. During the encore you could see the fun they were all having up on stage. It was a contagious energy in the building on Friday night. Yes, we were playing in the Superbowl but Dry Reef was able to harness that energy and use it in their performance which is a rare thing to be able to do. They closed out the show with that song. Soon after they ended, the music hall pretty much cleared out. As much as it was a dual headlining show it was very apparent that the majority of people came out to see Dry Reef.

The band had this to say about Friday’s show:

     “[We] definitely had some pre-show jitters [because] it was our first show in a few months, but we definitely felt the love from the Ardmore crowd pretty early on, and kept the energy up for the whole set. Gotta give a huge shout-out to Keliann’s Bar and Grill in Philly for letting us borrow the helmet at the last minute…the crowd ate it up and it made the Eagles fandom real.”

Dry Reef is something of pure alchemy. This band continues its journey beyond adolescence and into adulthood. The best way to explain their sound is if Explosions In The Sky had a baby with Lotus, then somehow Rebulation got sprinkled on top. I know that’s a bit of a mind-blowing thought, but it’s true.

   In 2019, Dry Reef was introduced to me, and in August 2022 I got the opportunity to see them perform live at Ardmore Music Hall. They left such an impression on me that interviewing them was a no-brainer. The thing that stands out most about this band in particular, is they remain true to their own sound. Their jam band/drum circle/reggae vibe just draws you in. So many bands these days are trying to be like someone they admire, instead of being true to who they are. One of the most extraordinary things about Dry Reef is they are unapologetically themselves.

    Joey Anderson, Charles Minehart, Patrick Gillen, and Collin O’Donnell are the four that are Dry Reef. They all have one shared passion which is to make music and have fun while doing it.  Charles, Patrick, and Collin all met at Upper Dublin High School in 2012.

The band sets out for a 2023 tour

O’Donnell, who plays lead guitar, started playing at age eight. It was only natural since music was in the family, with his Irish grandfather and uncles always playing music throughout their lives. O’Donnell specifically remembers getting his first guitar from his Pop Pop when he was five. “It was an old acoustic that was about the size of me at the time.” O’Donnell recalls that he would “jump around and dance with it as if I was already on stage.” Initially, it was O’Donnell’s parent’s who chose to sign him up for lessons, and shortly after, he was hooked. He dove deep into classic rock, trying to learn the guitar parts for anything from Tom Petty, The Beatles, or The Rolling Stones. Guitar lessons went on for about six years until he got to high school. There, he started playing with friends, including Gillen and Minehart.

Gillen is lead vocals and plays bass for the band. He picked up the guitar at age 11. Gillen met O’Donnell around then, O’Donnell taught him how to play “Smoke on the Water”, by Deep Purple. Shortly after, an obsession with Bruce Springsteen gave Gillen the songwriting bug. “I didn’t know how, but I was positive I would be a singer in a band one day. I was pretty sure of myself for a 12-year-old with very little musical talent”.

In the first year of high school, O’Donnell invited Gillen to come to play bass with some musician friends, and that group of friends would eventually become Dry Reef.

Minehart, the last of the original pioneers of Dry Reef, is the second guitar and vocals for the band. His background, like everyone else, is relatively similar in the sense of being musically inclined. Charles’s father played a lot of music, so he grew up in a house with guitars in every other room. He took piano lessons when he was eight, and by age 10, he had started getting into the guitar. “The first song that I can remember playing was “Louie Louie” by The Kingsmen on my dad’s Gibson SG.” Minehart also took classical guitar lessons for a few months, but it really picked up when he linked with the band in high school. 

It’s pretty clear that all of these guys just were brought together at a young age with one love, and that is music. 

Anderson is the drummer for Dry Reef. He grew up in a large musical family and can’t remember a time when he wasn’t playing the drums. Anderson learned by ear, listening to bands like Metallica, The Octopus Project, The Roots, Dave Matthews Band and many others. He started practicing more seriously and playing shows locally around ages 12 or 13. By age 16, Anderson was playing with a few different touring bands. “In 2015, our current manager Mark Franzen introduced me to the Dry Reef guys and things just clicked into place” .

While talking with the guys, we chatted about the earlier years of Dry Reef and how it’s come to be today. When asked about how everything all started and the thought process behind it all, Gillen was quick to respond by saying, “I mean, we just got together in high school and started playing Rolling Stones songs and then decided to start writing our own [music] and all stayed together. This is 11 years later”.

What was really different for me is that Dry Reef didn’t even start out writing their own songs. They were playing covers and having jam sessions. From day one, it’s been apparent that music is their passion. Gillen added:

“When we all started, like becoming a band, I think we just wanted to find as much cool music as we could because it started becoming such, like, a big part of our lives. So we really. I mean, I’m always looking for new music and consistently, you know, listening to whatever I can. So it really is all over the place. And I think, yeah, the Talking Heads and even the Stones are kind of like where we started, I guess”.

Gillen expressed, “Some of the first songs we learned were like Rolling Stones and Beatles and stuff like that. And then yeah, and once we started seeing ourselves as a band, we started looking at like kind of the younger, like more modern bands, and I think.” 

It’s evident when you listen to them who their core influences are, mainly because there are so many. Each comes through in its unique way. As I said earlier, you hear notes of Rebelution, Lotus, Explosions In The Sky, and undertones of classic rock like The Rolling Stones and The Beatles. Although those bands may have been the springboard they needed initially for inspiration, it is ever-changing. It seems to be themes of “southern rock guitar stuff” and The Marcus King Band as well as anything that inspires the group.

Another thing that was gnawing at me was the band’s name and how they came up with it. The response was the cleverest thing I think I have ever heard. Gillen explained by saying,

   “We’ve always been dry. Colin and I decided that we would never come up     with a bad name, like, for any reason. So we just put a bunch of random words in a hat one day and we said, we’re going to pick two words. And if they sound cool together, that’s our band name.”

Anderson, the fourth and final member, joined the band in 2019. They met through their longtime friend and manager, Franzen and when this came up, it was a consensus that Anderson was what “solidified” the band. Gillen wasted no time and jumped right in, saying,

“Instead of just running around looking for backup drummers for every show, which we have been doing for a couple of years; once Joey was there, he was ready for any show, any practice, he was always available and he took it really seriously. That kind of gave us all a breath of fresh air.”

O’Donnell then filled me in a little bit on the details of how Anderson came into the band:

“Mark introduced us to Joey, and we went over to jam with him. It instantly clicked. I mean, great drummer, super, super great guy, and it got us more serious. We realized that this could be something worth pursuing rather than just like a part-time kind of gig”.

Everyone then spoke up and agreed that Anderson was “the missing ingredient”. Let’s be real. It takes years for bands to find that “special ingredient” or “breath of fresh air”; the missing link that every band is missing. Well, Dry Reef  found their golden goose when they weren’t even looking for it. 

Currently, the guys are back in the studio writing and creating. It was time to dive into the whole creative process and what goes into it all. 

Gillen explained, “me and Charles write the lyrics, pretty much exclusively, but then basically any of us will bring an idea to the table, and that can be, you know, a 32nd portion, just something that we can get excited about and all kind of just build from there. But yeah, as far as writing, all we need as a band is one little something to get excited about.” 

.They record their music locally at Rittenhouse Soundworks in Germantown and home studio setups that they use include, Tyler Ripley, Little Brother Audio, and Paul Cieslak. You can also add producer to the many hats that this band wears as well. Dry Reef, very much goes with the ebb and flow, and follow their intuition when it comes to production.

Gillen explained it by saying how “that’s also another thing that changes every time I’ve done producing a mic scene and we’ve also used other people. So that’s always a kind of wherever we’re at, wherever we’re at, whatever our feelings are, we kind of go with the flow”.

Touring has finally been able to be set in stone since the creative process has been well underway. They have a tour lined up this spring with 10 dates lined up and down the east coast, from Pennsylvania to Florida. Between all these dates, they will be playing Reggae Rise Up on March 17th in St.Petersburg, Florida. Dry Reef kicks off this tour at no other than Ardmore Music Hall on February 10 with fellow homies and supporting artist, Yam Yam. If you like good music, check them out while they’re around because I’m sure they won’t be staying local for a long time.

Written and Photographed by Killian O’Neil

The crisp fall air whipped my face as I opened the door to the Brooklyn Bowl this past Friday. It was Halloween weekend, the Phillies are in the World Series, and I was about to see The Early November. Life was good, to say the least. Never had I been to this venue, so I was eager to see what all the hype was about. Once you enter, there are stairs to the right, which take you up to the bar and stage. The venue is dimly lit with string lights lining the ceiling and is riddled with couches and seating. 

As I walked in, the opener  was already on stage, ripping away on his acoustic guitar. The crowd was highly attentive and engaged, which is rare for an opener. They seemed even to know some of his music and sang along. Vinnie’s sound was something I’d never really heard before. Picture this, if folk and bluegrass had a baby with pop-punk, that’s precisely what Vinnie sounded like. Unfortunately, he played only a handful of songs before exiting the stage. 

The crowd awaited the next band, I Can Make a Mess Like Nobody’s Business, Ace Ender‘s other band aside from “The Early November. After about fifteen minutes, the lights started to move, and the band filed onto the stage. Ace was accompanied by another guitar player and a drummer when he walked out. From start to finish, the crowd was warm and welcoming as the audience’s empty spaces started to fill in. Their smooth sound made you want to melt into the lights when they hit you. Their sound is a hundred percent acoustic vs. the heavier sounds that the early November puts out. Midway through the set, Ace stopped and started talking about music. He was saying how “this type of music started in basements and gyms” and how “you put your heart into everything that you do and let that drive you and let that be your moral compass be what you’re putting out and giving out to another person and you leave these little pieces of your heart all over the place and to give it every single little thing that you got and in those dark times those little seeds that you planted of heart will shine, and every single time I’ve said I don’t want to do this or I can’t do this someone has come up to me said something like I was addicted to drugs until I heard this song and it saved my life. That’s what matters, what we create and the community that we created so many years ago, and I’m not speaking of just me. I’m speaking of the whole entire scene as a whole, and thank you for supporting such an amazing thing for so many decades”. At that point, there was electricity in the air, and everyone knew it. You didn’t feel like you were just one person at that moment. You felt like you were a part of something bigger. After that, he brought his daughter on stage to play a song and then sang happy birthday to the rest of the kids. You could tell it was a “hometown” show because the families were present that night. Once all that was over with, they exited the stage, and TEN were up next. 

It seemed like it took years for them to finally come out. During the set break, the radio played emo/pop punk favorites. At one point, I almost forgot I was at a TEN show, but The Startling Line show because of how the crowd was singing along. 

Without warning, they came out and started playing music, not saying a word, just straight into “Money in His Hand,” which is off the album The Mother, The Mechanic, The Path. It was heavy hitting and exactly how I remembered them. Everyone else must have felt it, too, with how they responded. They chose to play two songs from each of their earlier records. Which made the most sense seeing as this was a 20th-Anniversary Show. The set included all the hits and songs that only diehard fans would know about. The band was playing with everything they got and more; this was only the 3rd show of this tour. You could, however, tell that something was off with the sound. I’m not sure if it was just the speakers or the sound guy, but it wasn’t accessible at points to make out the vocals. Somebody turned the drums and guitar way up, and the lyrics seemed to get drowned out. It wasn’t for every song, but it was present. They ended the night with ever so sweet, apparently their most played song ever, according to Ace. Properly The Early November came back for an encore with “Call Off the Bells,” “I Want to Hear You Sad,” “Over My shoulder,” and “Every Night Another Story.” It was a show that Philly has been aching for, and finally, that thirst has been quenched.

The Early November

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Written by Killian O’Neil

Photographed by Mark Beemer 

It had been 11 years since My Chemical Romance played Philadelphia, which was quite evident when the MCRMY had shown up by the thousands. The emo scene in the mid-00s understood the magnitude of what was in store for the evening, and they came. It was a sold-out show at the Wells Fargo Center on Monday night. Every single person was acting as if it was Christmas morning. That evening, electricity was in the air, quickly permeating the arena. Finally, it was happening after all this time; it only took a global pandemic to postpone such an iconic tour not once but twice since their original announcement in 2019.

The merch line wrapped around half the building, and everyone stood in it unapologetically, waiting to get something. I had never seen anything like that in my entire life; it was insane. At last, I made it through the sea of fishnets and heavy black eyeliner to my seat. I nearly forgot how big the stadium was and how many people it could hold. On either side of the stage, two jumbotrons hung with the message from MCR saying, “Look after each other; if someone falls, help them up. Security is here to help if you need it. Have a great night”, which was oddly refreshing considering how some concerts go these days.

The stage was ready for the opener called Devil Master, equipped with two banners on both sides of the scene that had pictures of a red devil face. They came out at eight and played a 45-minute set chopped full of death metal. It’s not really for me, but if you’re into a Slayerisc sound, you’ll enjoy them.

After an eternity, their set ended, leaving the stage; it was show time. The moment we had all been waiting forever, so patiently for the last three years. I was banking on this night being more therapeutic than going to my actual therapist. Nothing spells healing better than my chem reunion tour. The stage for MCR and the red curtain hiding the backdrop now had a spot on it. The tension in the arena continued to build, and everyone was finding their seats. 

A white static noise began to saturate the air, which started to intensify—growing louder and louder over the speakers. Simultaneously, the fog started coming out of the stage’s bottom. Cheers for the band became louder as the mysterious white noise became decipherable. We all knew what would happen next as the guys walked on stage. It had been nine years since they wrote a new song, and we would hear it tonight.

Foundations of Decay came out this past may and is their new single. So for them to open the show with it was only natural. There was so much fog on stage you could hardly tell where they were. It quickly became apparent once Gerard started to sing. The red curtain fell to the ground exposing the backdrop for the evening, which was a silhouette of a desolate city. Blue and white lights Illuminated the stage, and you could see Frank, Mikey, Ray, and Jarrod. The spotlight hit Gerard and exposed him in all of his glory. His ensemble for the night was a half-clear face mask, short shorts, and a t-shirt that read “pool boy for the vampire mansion.”

They wasted no time blowing up the night with fan favorites (in no particular order) like “I’m Not Okay,” “Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na),” “Welcome to the Black Parade,” and many more. Halfway through the set, the “iconic G note” pierced the air and sent the crowd into a frenzy. Followed by a sing-along with 19,000 people belting out, “When I was a young boy, my father took me into the city to see a marching band.” MCR continued to play as the MCRMY took the lead on the chorus, and finally, Gerard took over. It was so loud you could feel the structure of the stadium begin to shake from the roars of the audience and the bass coming from the speakers. I could not spot a single individual sitting down because every person was on their feet, screaming the lyrics as loud as they possibly could. The emotions that were rippling through everyone were contagious that night. It was at the very moment you were feeling everything all at once. They wrapped up the night with the infamous song “Famous Last Words,” which couldn’t be more fitting. 

The lights went dark, and the chants started begging for “ONE MORE SONG.” Within minutes the guys filtered back onto the stage and took the assumed positions. The lights hit, and the first cymbal sounded, giving it away. I even said to myself holy shit when I realized what they were playing. It was “Vampires Will Never Hurt You,” which is off their very first album and is rarely if ever, played live. The night ended with “The Kids From Yesterday” and the echoes of everyone singing. “Remember, this could be the last of all the rides we take, So hold on tight and don’t look back; We don’t care about the message or the rules they make; I’ll find you when the sun goes black…”. I almost had trouble hearing the band with the eruption of the crowd. It was a perfect way to end the night.

I am mind blown at how effortlessly they played that evening; it was as if no time had passed. The 11-year hiatus was simply a mirage, the synergy of this Jersey-native band is something most artists dream of, but few can achieve. My Chemical Romance isn’t just a band; it’s in all of us. It reminds us that it’s okay not to be okay and that you’re never alone. MCR’s message has always been to create music that means something. That’s what they have done and hopefully will continue to do.

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