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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It may not have been the most preferred weather for a concert hosted outdoors, but that did not stop eager fans from traveling down to South Philadelphia for this year’s 104.5 Winter Jam festival. Headlined by New Jersey’s own The Gaslight Anthem, the lineup also featured Walk The Moon, The Cold War Kids, and Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness. Debuting this year at the festival was a second, locals only stage that hosted Cheerleader, CRUISR and We Speak In Sounds.

Wendy Rollins of 104.5 (all photos by Matt Kelchner)

2015 marked a new home for the yearly winter festival. For the past several years, the Piazza in Northern Liberties hosted Winter Jam. This year the station decided to move things south to Comcast’s entertainment destination nestled in between the sports stadiums, Xfinity Live. The new venue gave fans not only a large enough outdoor area to comfortably host two stages, but it also added an indoor option with a handful of different bars and walls after walls of TVs.

As the temperatures hovered just above the freezing mark and the wind blew through the outside concourse, the frigid temperatures were felt all around. Each band had at least one member who was bundled up on stage. Singer Brian Fallon even went on to say “this is the coldest I’ve ever been on stage. Three songs in and I can no longer feel my fingers”. In the end, the chilly weather was only an afterthought as each band put on performances that made you forget about the chilly weather.

Kicking things off was Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness, the latest project of prolific songwriter and artist Andrew McMahon. The former leader of seminal bands Something Corporate and Jack’s Mannequin. McMahon and his band performed hits from this latest self titled album, as well as hits like “Dark Blue” and “Leaving Through The Window” from his previous outfits.

Following Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness on the main stage was Walk The Moon, who by far had the most energetic and lively crowd of the day. Shortly after they took to the stage, a rainy/snowy hybrid started falling from the sky but proved to be no match for the buzzing crowd. As the groups of face painted followers pushed to the front of the stage, others decided to simply crowdsurf their way up. As Walk The Moon’s performance went on, it was a neverending wave of person after person rolling their way on the tops of their cohorts hands/heads/etc.

In between the change over, locals We Speak In Sounds, Cheerleader and CRUISR performed short but sweet sets on the new locals only stage. While this was the first year that Winter Jam showcased bands that call Philadelphia home, it was the first time an entire stage was devoted to homegrown talent. Doing so allowed for performances to happen seemingly one right after another. And while the stages were at opposite ends of the outdoor area, the local acts pulled their own and drew large gathering of fans.

Cold War Kids

LA’s The Cold War Kids were the second to last band to play Saturday afternoon with a set filled with hit after hit. They reached far into their lengthy catalog to give new fans both old and new a few special treats like “ Something Is Not Right With Me”, “Hospital Beds” and “Hang Me Out To Dry”. It was the perfect intro to those more new to the group and a beautiful recap of sorts for the seasoned veterans. And while their music might not appear to be the most conducive to rapid fans crawling on top of one another, those who were out at Xfinity Live Saturday afternoon proved otherwise.

And then there was one. Just as the sun began to set, our neighbors to the east, the Gaslight Anthem took the stage for the final band of the day. There isn’t too much that can be said about the band that hasn’t already been mentioned time after time. Their perfected blend of folky, rootsy blue collar Americana meets fast-paced, edgy punk was in full force Saturday. That certain type of moxie that every member gives off that makes you feel like they could be your next buddy at the bar was too. These were just a few of parts that made for a fantastic way to wrap up a day full of great music.

Gaslight Anthem

Despite a shorter than normal set length, the Gaslight Anthem managed to squeeze in their own career spanning collection of songs. They reached as far back as their debut album, Sink or Swim all the way up to last year’s Get Hurt, and everything in between. Songs like “1,000 Years” and “The ‘59 Sound” echoed as the crowd sung along to every word. The day ended with a one-two punch of “Wooderson” and “The Backseat”. In a year where Radio 104.5 pushed things to an all new level; a venue change and special stage for up and coming locals, it was an only fitting to have a band from one state over close things out. The bar was raised yet again for the Philly rock radio station, one can only imagine right now how they might outdo themselves next year.

Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness

Reviewed by: Brian Roser

This album is a series of piano-based power ballads. If you think that makes them in some way less than guitar-based ones, Billy Joel will be along shortly to smack you around for your disturbing lack of faith. The music has an almost epic feel to it, which provides a stark contrast to the intensely personal lyrics. At 32 and with several years of songwriting under his belt, McMahon’s music has a much more mature quality to it. Yes, he sings of love, but not the shallow love found on the high school dance floor. This is love of a more of a blue-collar kind. It is full of mistakes, of loss and imperfection, but for all that it is far more deep than one that came too easily.

Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness is his first album under his own name. He started out with Something Corporate then moved out on his own with Jack’s Mannequin and now I suppose he just no longer feels the need for a name other than his own. Not that he needs one; his name is impressive enough as it is. At the age of nine years old, he started teaching himself to play the piano. After being diagnosed with leukemia in 2005, he beat it with a stem cell transplant from his sister. Now he raises money for cancer research and to top it all off, he is the father of a newborn daughter. Beat that.

The imagery McMahon evokes in his songs is very intense: seeing the girl in the window as you pull into her driveway or waves on the beach washing away the bonfire ash the tourists have left behind. It is listenable, singable and the perfect addition to your next road trip.

Rating: Bad-Ass