Written by: Nick Hopton and Photographed by Michael Greco

As the lights dimmed in the heart of Philadelphia, the air thick with the smell of overpriced beer and rarely washed denim, we felt the weight of life lift off of our shoulders, if only for a little while. Frank Turner and his band of Sleeping Souls ended their Undefeated Tour of 2024 in our city, promising an evening that would resonate deeply with every lost soul fortunate enough to find their way. Standing amid a sea of fans as I had many times before, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of being at home…. connected by a shared passion for a sound that defies the boundaries of genre and generation.

Show 2097 was about to begin.

As we gathered at The Fillmore Philadelphia, the venue itself seemed to pulse with the energy of anticipation. The newer yet somehow historic charm of The Fillmore set a perfect backdrop for the evening to come. The doors opened at 5:30 PM, ushering in a diverse crowd, from eager teenagers experiencing their first concert to seasoned punks who have been through hell and back. Each person’s excitement added to the collective buzz, making the air electric with pre-show wonder.

The venue’s layout, with its own excellent acoustics and intimate setting, promised that every attendee would feel the raw energy of Turner’s performance, no matter where they stood. Amigo The Devil, Bridge City Sinners, and Micah Schnabel & Vanessa Jean Speckman took the stage in the earlier hours and owned it in their own right, each more than capable of headlining their tours. The crowd’s chatter turned into cheers with each passing moment, setting the tone for what was to come. It was a gathering of love, ire, and song. The final stop on the tour.

At 9:15, Frank Turner took the stage. The atmosphere shifted palpably, charged with an electric anticipation that only his performances could elicit. Opening with new fan favorites “No Thank You For The Music” and “Girl From The Record Shop” from his latest album, the crowd was instantly captivated, singing along to every word, their voices a unified chorus in the hot as-hell Philadelphia night. The real sing-alongs began directly after as “Get Better”, “Recovery” and “Try This At Home” damn near blew the chandeliers off the ceiling. Turner’s ability to blend heartfelt lyrics with soaring, electric songwriting was on full display, creating an opening that was both emotive and exhilarating like a tornado of emotion. You knew damn well where you were at…and it wasn’t Kansas anymore.

As the night progressed, the energy surged as Turner and his band launched into rousing epics “I Am Disappeared,” “Haven’t Been Doing So Well,” and the always massive singalong “Polaroid Picture”. Two highly emotional tracks followed, “Ceasefire” and “A Wave Across The Bay” which damn near brought the entire room into a sea of tears from the inspiration they carry. The connection between Turner and the audience deepened with every passing moment, each song acting as a cathartic release for both the artist and his fans.

As the show progressed, one singalong after another in a massive 25-song set, and the night drew to a close, Turner’s performance of “Photosynthesis” was a standout, embodying the spirit of defiance and renewal that his music champions. The crowd’s enthusiastic participation, shouting back “I won’t sit down, and I won’t shut up, and most of all I will not grow up” was a reminder of resilience in the wake of shit that life will throw at you, and to always be you. A quick break ushered in a 4 song encore featuring “Undefeated”, “If Ever I Stray,” and “I Still Believe,” closing the night out with the riot dance anthem “Four Simple Words.”

Being the eighth time I’ve seen him live, I can say that no Frank Turner show is the same. Always different emotions, and different themes of the night. Reflecting on the Undefeated tour, especially the unforgettable evening in Philadelphia, this felt more raw. More heartfelt and to the point, no cherry on top of the melted structure of life we once knew and loved. He spoke often about how fucked up things have been and continue to become over the past few years. He’s right when he says that we don’t open up and truly talk about where we are and the shit we’ve been through. But the one unifying thing we do have…is this. This synergy between his thoughts written on paper then conjured into a release, and the palpable enthusiasm from the audience united in the transformative and healing power of live music. Turner’s ability to connect through his heartfelt lyrics and energetic performances, coupled with the engagement and shared passion of the fans, created moments that transcended the boundaries of the event, leaving lasting memories and a deep sense of community among those present. We don’t have many things we agree on anymore. Nights like these are a reminder that we still can have hope to remedy that.

The significance of this tour goes beyond the confines of The Fillmore, weaving into the fabric of the attendees’ lives a tapestry of musical fervor, collective joy, and the enduring human connection that music fosters. As we look back on that night, the experience serves as a vivid reminder of music’s role in shaping our narratives, keeping them true, and enduring through the storm. This tour not only celebrated Frank Turner’s artistry but also the communal spirit of his fans, highlighting the enduring impact of gathering in appreciation of music that speaks to the soul.

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A good sense of humor can get you pretty far in life, and English songwriter Jay McAllister has mastered the art of not taking himself too seriously. Going by the cheeky moniker Beans on Toast (a traditional English breakfast­ dish), McAllister has made a career out of delivering straightforward songs about sex, drugs, and politics in a clever and endearing way. A few hours before he warmed up the crowd for Frank Turner on night two of the new Fillmore Philly venue, McAllister welcomed me backstage for a chat about his recently announced 7^th album, Rolling Up the Hill (Xtra Mile Recordings).

Jay McAllister of Beans on Toast. Props for the MilkBoy Philly shirt! Photo by Jem Mitchell

Rolling Up the Hill will mark the seventh year in a row that Beans on Toast will release an album on his birthday, December 1st. The tradition started with 2009’s 50-song double album, Standing on a Chair, produced by Mumford and Sons’ Ben Lovett, as McAllister transitioned from playing for friends to playing for fans.

“It kind of came about without thinking, really,” McAllister explains on the choice of release date. “The first album was gonna be released around December-time, and at that point, it was at that transition where your friends come to fewer gigs, and you need other people there just for the music. So I thought, ‘If I throw a birthday party, and all my mates come, and I do it as an album release, everyone else will come.’ So that’s what we did!”

The tradition of releasing an album on December 1st has continued in a very organic way, simply because it fits McAllister’s natural output.

“It’s not like I’m working to a deadline or anything like that,” he says. “I’m always writing, and I’d say 90% of what I write makes it on the albums. If I wasn’t ready, I just wouldn’t do it. I’ve not promised anybody that I’m gonna put an album out every year.”

Beans on Toast warms up the crowd for Frank Turner.

Beans on Toast songs definitely fit into the classic troubadour style, relying on personal references and a “say what you see” methodology. McAllister draws on his experiences of touring America, and his outlook on the States is actually much more positive than last year’s hit song “Fuck You Nashville” might convey.

Regarding that tune, which details one of the few negative experiences he’s had in the US, McAllister says he wrote it so his friends back in England wouldn’t be too chafed about all the exciting opportunities he was having on this side of the pond.

“I was basically gonna write this song about how much fun I have traveling around America,” McAllister chuckles, “and I realized all my friends back home are gonna hate me. So I always introduce “Fuck You Nashville” as the song I wrote instead of writing a song about how much fun I have on tour in the States.”

Now that he’s placated his mates, however, Beans on Toast was excited to write a song chronicling all the adventures he had while on tour in early 2015. Thus was born “The Great American Novel,” the lead single off the upcoming Rolling album. The song includes references to gambling in Reno, drinking free Coors Light, and talking to people who think he’s Australian.

“It’s a true story, basically,” McAllister says. “We toured in March, and it would be fucking criminal if I didn’t have anything to write about, and I just sort of sucker-punched it all into one song, instead of writing about a specific night or whatever. Almost so I can remember it as well, document my experiences. The song follows the path of the route we took, and the people we met get name-checked, and the rooms we liked too.”

Regarding the song’s title, don’t expect McAllister to rally off a list of American novels; in this case, it’s more about what that phrase represents than any one author or book. He has discovered some of his preferences on American culture, though, such as knowing to order tall Jack and Cokes and using a map of Cracker Barrel locations to plot out his cross-country treks. Plus he has a great story about horning in on a conversation between Wayne Coyne and the Governor of Colorado during a stopover on this year’s Gentlemen of the Road tour.

The main floor of the new Fillmore Philly venue. Purple chandeliers!

Even more American culture promises to make its way onto Rolling Up the Hill, as this album was shaped through a collaboration with Mike and Katie West of Kansas-based band Truckstop Honeymoon. Originally street performers in New Orleans, the Wests relocated after losing everything in Katrina, and connected with Beans on Toast after playing a festival together last year.

“After we played that festival together,” McAllister recalls, “they reached out saying they liked what I did, and I felt the same way. We did it so old-school, exchanging albums via mail, like who does this anymore?”

The relationship took hold during Beans on Toast’s spring tour, with the groups playing together in New Orleans and the Red Dragon Room in Baton Rouge. West invited McAllister out to Kansas, where he added a new, fuller sound to the record with banjo and fiddle.

“Mike simply advised me to not finish every song before I showed up,” McAllister explained, “and then he helped with the arrangements in the studio. It’s definitely got a couple of differences, but at the end of the day, it’s still a Beans on Toast album.”

After the album release, Truckstop Honeymoon will venture over to England (with their four kids in tow) and open up for Beans on Toast playing their own material while also sitting in as his backing band. It aims to be a proper mash-up of culture and charisma.

Charisma is exactly what a Beans on Toast show is all about, as McAllister captured the attention of the hearty Fillmore crowd with just a single guitar and a crooked smile. Particularly funny was a work-in-progress analyzing the US Presidential race, riffing on loudmouth Donald Trump and champion of the people Bernie Sanders. He quipped that he’s only ever worked on the song on-stage, so we’ll have to wait and see how the final product turns out.

As for the big new venue in Fishtown, the Fillmore is a beautiful space with a wide-open industrial feel, and should prove to be a welcome addition to the already-stellar live music scene in Philadelphia.

If you’re a fan of folky, post-punk songwriting, check out Beans on Toast with Frank Turner on the West Coast through the end of October, and make sure to mark your calendar for the album release on December 1st. I think you’ll find it quite tasty.