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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​Dueling piano bar Howl at the Moon recently opened at 258 S. 15th Street this week and if the opening night is any indication of what’s to come, Philly is in for a treat.

​Dueling piano provokes images of two pianist, each with their pianos in hand, waiting for the handkerchief to drop to let off their best solo. Howl at the Moon delivers duel pianos but it’s more of a friendly rivalry at best.

​The amazing house band doubled as host for the evening. Every member played pretty much every instrument and sung. The band takes request from the crowd, so it’s almost guaranteed you’ll hear your favorite song. All you need is the song title and artist. A few dollars wouldn’t hurt either to catch their attention. As the night goes on the pianos get covered in request slips.

​A tag line of Howl at the Moon is “sing along”, which is enthusiastically encouraged by the band. So encouraged that even a Howl at the Moon bouncer near the dance floor got on stage and sung a song.

Among other things that graced the stage was a twerk off courtesy of Sir-Mix-a-Lot, trash cans for .fun and dancing bar patrons. For some, the dance floor didn’t do their talent justice.

Howl at the Moon is just a short walk from the Orange Line’s Walnut and Locust. It delivers a great night and really what more could you ask for?

Back Into the Woods

Reviewed by Michele Zipkin

The sixth studio album by the very accomplished Ed Harcourt, Back Into the Woods, is a collection of very honest songs that pull back a curtain onto a personal landscape of his thoughts and experiences.  He is a skilled pianist and songwriter, truly an artist.  His previous records, the first of which has earned him a Mercury award, have lead him to share a  bill with artists like Wilco, Norah Jones, Sondre Lerche, and Feist.

Drawing influence from the likes of Tom Waits, Jeff Buckley and Nick Cave,  Harcourt’s latest release, apparently recorded in one fell swoop over the course of six hours, showcases charmingly sparse instrumentation in contrast to some of his previous work.  Vocals paired with piano or guitar are the main components of this group of songs, but that’s not to say that a couple other instruments don’t peek through.  Beautiful  single-line violin makes its voice heard in “Hey Little Bruiser”, the chords of which paint very beautiful colors with their slight tonal ambiguity and simple arpeggiation.

A bit more complex piano work can be heard in “Wandering Eye”, quite a revelatory song in which Harcourt just reveals everything that’s going  on in his head (or in the head of the character of the song), admitting his adversity in having a wandering eye and resorting to violence.  An  unexpected and slightly haunting chorus (perhaps of Harcourt’s multi-tracked voice) comes into play after a couple verses, pleasantly surprising since there has been no hint of a background vocal so far. But surprises in music are warmly welcomed.  The piano evokes a bit of Rufus Wainwright’s steeze with the keys.

“Murmur in My Heart” slows it down to a downtrodden pace with very poetic, albeit tragic lyrics like “…she is the mist that (steals) the forests, she is the beartrap around your leg, and when she pulls you from the  wreckage, just pretend that you are dead”.  Stream-like and achingly  forlorn guitar-playing supports the vocal melody.  “Brothers and  Sisters” features some more extravagant vocals and piano; the reverb on  Harcourt’s voice makes it sound as if he were playing in a vast church  hall.  It’s reminiscent perhaps of one of the Beatles’ more simple and  piano-driven tunes, and might even stand to benefit from some percussion or bass.

The title track is perhaps the most loveable of the nine songs that compose Back Into the Woods.  Its beautiful and almost jazzy main melody is quite possibly the most  melodically straightforward so far.  It serves as the vehicle through  which Harcourt recounts a tragic tale about the unforgiving elements of  mother nature, and maybe the unforgiving elements of man.

This oeuvre ends up on a fairly somber note with “The Man that Time Forgot”, a tune about the desire for renewal or redemption, but also severe  guilt from past wrongdoings.  Here Harcourt sings down in the eerily low register of his voice, exposing his Tom Waits tendencies.

Back Into the Woods proves intimate and raw, personal, passionate, and very real.  Harcourt sings of struggles and longings that most everyone encounters.  While  these songs sadly may not reach the top of the charts, they provide invaluable commentary on what it means to be human.