Written and Photographed by Liv Foltiny

Getting to The Fillmore slightly after 8 pm, I was well aware of the reality that I missed at least one of the bands scheduled to perform this past Friday night, and, honestly, with how I was feeling, I was only concerned about making it for the band I was assigned to cover—The Gaslight Anthem. Knowing nothing about the band other than what I learned from a very brief online search (e.g., that it formed in NJ and seemed to fall within the genres of music I listen to), I didn’t know what to expect and, to an extent, was going in blind.

As I made my way toward the stage, I was greeted by a huge crowd; the place was packed from the barricade in the front to the bar in the back. Joyce Manor, the second band of the night (following Pinkshift), was up on the stage, playing the final few songs of their set. From their short, energetic movements across the stage to their brief, appreciative conversation with the crowd about their love for Philadelphia, the band members drew everyone’s attention and had those familiar with their music singing synchronously. Even though the band wasn’t headlining that night, it was evident that Joyce Manor was capable of giving an engaging, successful performance.

Following Joyce Manor’s exit around 8:30 pm, concertgoers were left to their own devices for a bit since The Gaslight Anthem was not set to take the stage until 9 pm. It was during this intermission that I recognized a familiar face in the crowd — Sara from 93.3 WMMR (@radio_sara). After introducing me to her husband, Jake, Sara and I spoke for a bit, catching up and briefly talking about the show. I learned that she has been seeing The Gaslight Anthem for the past twelve years, and, upon hearing that I had never seen them before, she informed me that they put on a great live show and that, considering they’re from NJ, their performance at The Fillmore was “the closest to a home show we could get.

As 9 p.m. drew closer, I made my way over to the photo pit entrance, and, within minutes, the other photographers and I were given the go-ahead to approach the stage. The crowd excitedly burst into cheers while the members of The Gaslight Anthem took their places and began their set.

For around an hour and a half, The Fillmore was alive as attendees (many of whom appeared to be fans of the band) were immersed in the rhythms and lyrics emanating from the stage. People enthusiastically danced, sang along, and threw their hands up into the air while The Gaslight Anthem played a variety of songs, consisting predominantly of originals (such as “We Came To Dance” and “Positive Charge”) and, at the very end, with help from Joyce Manor and Pinkshift, a cover of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”.

Throughout their set, the members of The Gaslight Anthem intently focused on their performance. Brian Fallon (lead vocalist), alternating between soft and rugged vocals, belted out lyrics and played his guitar while Alex Rosamilia (lead guitarist), captivated by the venue’s lively atmosphere, regularly bobbed his head as he walked around on stage and, intermittently, leaned over his guitar. Concurrently, Alex Levine (bassist) and Benny Horowitz (drummer), from their fervent playing to their quick and frequent movements, exhibited the most energy out of everyone in the group. Notwithstanding these positive aspects of their set, it felt like something vital was missing.

Now, I didn’t expect Brian to climb and jump off of things like Remington Leith (Palaye Royale), playfully tease the crowd and dance on his toes like Tyler Glenn (Neon Trees), or rapidly spin with the mic stand on his shoulders like Yungblud; however, I guess I assumed, or hoped, that he would have exuded a little more presence on stage, namely when it came to interacting with the audience. Except for two very succinct conversations in which he spoke to the crowd directly, Brian didn’t seem overly invested in establishing an emotional connection with the mass of people standing before him. Then again, it wasn’t something he truly needed to be concerned with since a majority of the attendees there were happily engrossed from the second the band set foot on stage. Their roaring cheer

s and eagerness to participate in the moment undoubtedly evinced the strong, pre-existing connection the band already had with a majority of the crowd before the show even started. For newcomers such as myself, though, it could have been nice to learn more about Brian and the band on a personal level through additional, direct interaction with the audience.

Overall, it’s safe to say that The Gaslight Anthem’s show at The Fillmore undeniably had a positive impact on most — if not all — of the fans in attendance. From everyone dancing and singing on the floor to those doing likewise on the second level of the building, there was no refuting the joyous energy that permeated the venue throughout the entire night. The Gaslight Anthem made sure fans walked out of The Fillmore with memories and a “Positive Charge” to start the impending weekend.

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California-based punk rock band Joyce Manor played for a packed house at Union Transfer this past Monday. Joining them on tour was Michigan rock group Cheap Girls, as well as New Hampshire’s Tracks.

Tracks (all photos by Brianna Redding)

This was Tracks’ first tour since forming earlier this year. Jason Anderson, who some may remember from Wolf Colonel, expressed his love for Philadelphia. “This town has the best music scene in the country,” Anderson told the audience.  This was also Tracks’ first Philly show, which lent to much enthusiasm on stage.  Tracks’ sound can be best described as Springsteen-meets-Coldplay, with Anderson’s strong vocals over harmonious, slightly melancholy music.

Cheap Girls

Cheap Girls was next to take the stage, immediately capturing the audience’s attention with their indie/punk rock sound and earnest lyrics. Front-man Ian Graham sounds a bit like Patrick Stump, which was something I noticed right away. Cheap Girls’ set list was a little more upbeat than Tracks’ and seemed to get the crowd of mostly teens and twenty-somethings amped for Joyce Manor.

At around 10 pm, Joyce Manor took the stage and were greeted by the deafening screams of some of their biggest fans. The band played mostly stuff from their newest album, Never Hungover Again, as well as songs from their various EPs. Lead singer and guitarist Barry Johnson was charismatic and managed to keep the crowd on their toes the entire time, pausing between songs to talk to the audience and crack a few jokes. At one point during the show, a fan tossed a plastic bag filled with miscellaneous items at the stage, and Johnson took the opportunity to look through it and have some fun with the audience. Seeing a band interact with their fans during the show is always refreshing and makes the experience that much more special, in my opinion.

Joyce Manor

Johnson is known for his disdain for stage diving/crowd surfing, which was noticeably absent at the show, with the exception of one attendee who was quickly told to get down by security. Regardless, this didn’t seem to be a problem for the crowd, as everyone seemed to be having the time of their lives. Toward the end of the show, the band played fan-favorite “Constant Headache” and came out for an encore of “Catalina Fight Song” and “Five Beer Plan,” much to the audience’s delight.

Last Wednesday, California’s own Joyce Manor brought their headlining tour to Union Transfer. Earlier this year they released, Never Hungover Again, their latest full length record. Fans eager to hear the new songs from the album packed into the former Spaghetti Warehouse early to catch the impressive lineup of opening acts. Locals The Spirit of the Beehive and Dogs on Acid shared the bill along with Joyce Manor and their tourmates, The Exquisites.

The Spirit of the Beehives (photos by Matt Kelchner)

First up on the night was The Spirit of the Beehive. Featuring members of other well known Philly acts Kite Party and Glocca Morra, The Spirit of the Beehive have developed a different sound compared to their basement punk relatives. They mix heavy, massive walls of blistering shoegaze-esque guitars with more upbeat and energetic rhythms that offered the crowd fresh taste. Most impressive was their ending song, “Chump”, from their current self-titled album.

Dogs on Acid

The second of two Philly bands were next up on the night. Rising from the breakup of well known and loved Algernon Cadwallader, Dogs On Acid share some similar styles from the former group. John Reinhart and Peter Helmis, two bandmates from Algernon Cadwallader, make up half of Dogs On Acid. The energy and catchy riffs carry over, but Dogs On Acid separate themselves by swapped out the mathy, guitar noodling for more of a fuzzy, 90s college rock sound. For being a relatively young band with a small collection of songs, Dogs On Acid showed a kind of experience one would expect from a well seasoned group. Be on the lookout for more from these guys because it will only be a matter of time before you see their name everywhere!

The Exquisites are a three piece band who hail from Seattle, WA but Wednesday night they expanded to four with the edition of local musician Evan Bernard. The night picked up as they chugged away song by song. Songs like “Selfish Feelings” and “Setting Sun” got the crowd fired up and moving. There was so shortage in riffs as the Pacific Northwest trio (plus one Philly addition) played. The night ended with another fan favorite “Make A Song”.

The Exquisites

As the stage was being set for Joyce Manor, fans were planning and prepping for when the band would go on. And as Joyce Manor member walked on and began playing, it took all of about 30 seconds into the first song “Heart Tattoo” for the excitement to boil over. There was a rush to stage as fans from seemingly every corner of Union Transfer climbed on top of one another for a chance to get closer. Early on in the night lead singer and guitarist Barry Johnson expressed a bit of concern as he asked for the crowd surfing and stage diving be toned down, but it would be a wish that would fall on deaf ears as fans continued throughout the night.

Joyce Manor

While much of the night was focused on the songs from Never Hungover Again, Joyce Manor gave the fans a number of older hits as well. “Catalina Fight Songs” and “Beach Community” were mixed in with the likes of “See How Tame I Can Be” and “21st Dead Rats”. Every song played Wednesday night echoed throughout the high ceilings in Union Transfer as those who came out sang along to every song. Nothing was louder than the final two songs of the night, “Five Beer Plan” followed with “Brown Leather Jacket”. The energy and emotion that night was as high as any show that left with both Joyce Manor and their fans walking out with smiles from ear to ear.

Never Hungover Again

Reviewed by: Leslie Snyder

Romance oozes out of Torrance, California from an independent punk rock quartet called Joyce Manor. This fun loving quartet can best be described as a more mellow version of Green Day with their soulful vocals and gritty, but much more soothing style of punk rock melodies. Never Hungover Again features nine soul bearing tracks about trying to find true love and the happiness and sadness that this emotional journey can bring.

The journey begins with a glimmer of hope in the first track, “Falling In Love Again.” This track features soulful vocals and “sultry” punk rock melodies. Next is a little bit of summer love mixed with sadness in “End of the Summer.” The happiness that began on the album turns into bitterness in the third track “Victoria.” With ups and downs throughout, this collection of music is perfect for a warm summer day.

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