Written and Photographed by Rev. TJ McGlinchey, MFA, MAE

It was a gloomy Thursday night in Philadelphia when I parked my car on North 7th Street to attend a concert by British rockers The Darkness at Franklin Music Hall. The show was to start right at 9:00 PM. I missed the opening duo Paris Monster, but I was there in time to hear their last few chords ringing out. A friend had tagged along, and they went to the bar back and forth while I geeked out nearly the entire show. For the opening three numbers, I was in the photo pit to witness the band in full glory. 

The band came out swaggering, as is their modus operandi, and launched into “Arrival,” “Black Shuck,” and the ever-green classic “Get Your Hands Off My Woman.” By the time they got through that tune, lead singer Justin Hawkins had removed his shirt and made love to the room. Now, let me take a pause here to remember that 20 years ago when this first album of theirs called Permission To Land was released, I was a huge fan. During those first three songs in the pit, I was fanboying a little bit. On my way out of the photo pit, I got a fist bump from the lead singer and a “cheers, brother,” which made my night before they started.

For the next part of the set daily, it went from one tune into another, seemingly without stopping. The band played another hit called “Growing On Me,” which is a favorite of mine, and then “The Best Of Me,” “Making Out,” “Giving Up,” and then “Love Is Only a Feeling.” From one song to the next, they played like the veterans that they are, and it’s clear to see why Brian May of Queen has joined them in concert. Both Hawkins brothers played like they were taught in Brian May’s guitar school. 

They continued being absolute rock stars as they played “The Curse of The Tollund Man,” “Stuck In a Rut,” “How Dare You Call This Love,” and “Street Spirit.” In between songs, Hawkins would banter with the audience like we were in his living room. If you’ve ever seen his YouTube channel, you’ll know the kind of conversational style I am referring to, which makes his stage presence mostly rockstar with a pinch of standup comedian.

For the last part of the set, they played “Holding My Own,” “Friday Night,” then paused for a minute before teasing the biggest song of the evening. Justin played a funky version of the opening riff to their biggest hit. He paused again to ask the audience to join him in a magical moment where everyone would put away their phones and cameras. Most of us were inclined to oblige. Then they launched into their mega-hit, the song heard across the universe, “I Believe In A Thing Called Love.” The entire venue was singing along with every single word and humming along.

They returned for an encore, dressed in pajamas and silk robes. The band had switched positions. The bassist played guitar. The drummer played bass, and the guitarist played drums. That lineup lasted for a tune called “I Love You 5 Times.” Then, they closed the show with a song called “Love On The Rocks With No Ice.” The singer surfed the crowd during a grand guitar solo.

As they left the stage, the crowd was in complete shock, and I could feel the gratitude in the air for what had just happened before us. It was an honor for me to see this band. I had long awaited to experience their music at a live concert. It was everything I had hoped and imagined it would be, and I got a fist bump from the lead singer, so, there. 

Cheers, brothers and sisters!

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Written and Photographed by Angel Park

This past May, Canadian rock four-piece PUP along with support bands Pinkshift and Sherman played to a packed house at Franklin Music Hall. 

This tour marked the celebration of the group’s latest album, “The unraveling of Pup band, and the first show the band had played in Philadelphia in over two years. There was a buzz of excitement reverberating throughout the crowd as they waited impatiently to get into the venue as doors opened. A fan even enthusiastically claimed, “I’ve seen these guys play live since 2014; I’m so f—-ing happy they’re back!”

As the clock hit 8:30 and the house lights dimmed down, the crowd quickly clamored to the front as the members of the opening band, Pinkshift took the stage. This Baltimore, MD-based group kicked off their set with rowdy, punk-rock-inspired energy, with lead vocalist Ashrita Kumar greeting the crowd with a loud, “What’s up Philly?” before going right into the opening chords of their first track. While still very new to the punk music scene, Pinkshift had the crowd moving and even moshing along with their distorted, rebellious tunes. With a new album reportedly in the works for release soon, indie punk fans should keep an eye out for more Pinkshift music in the future. 

Next up were Philly locals, Sheer Mag. Since forming in 2014, the group has released two critically praised studio albums titled “Need to Feel Your Love” and “A Distant Call.” Heavily inspired by throwback 70’srock and punk ethos, the group had every classic rock music headbanging along as they played through tunes such as “Steel Sharpens Steel” and “Hardly to Blame.”

And last but definitely not least, PUP arrived on stage following Sheer Mag’s set. The eruption of ecstatic cheers from the crowd was deafening, and lead vocalist Stefan Babcock took it in stride, smiling as he strapped up his guitar and led the group into their opening track. There wasn’t a single song that fans weren’t mouthing the words to, and several crowd surfers waded their way through the packed audience. Packed with humor and fun pop-punk beats, PUP’s performance was a delight for both fans and new listeners alike.  

Today she shares a new remix for her song “Let Me Know”, the Franklin Remix. The tour kicks off in Atlanta on March 30th and will hit cities including New York, Toronto, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia on April 5 at Franklin Music Hall.

Take a listen to “Let Me Know” and make sure to stay up-to-date with all things Winona Oak.

Check out Oak’s stunning music video for her song “Let Me Know” below.

Winona Oak live dates:
# supporting Oh Wonder

Wed 1.22 – Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right @ Popshop NYC HERE
Mon 1.27 – Toronto, CAN @ The Drake @ School Night Toronto (FREE w/ RSVP HERE)
Wed 2.19 – Los Angeles, CA @ Moroccan Lounge @ Popshop West HERE
Mon 3.30 – Atlanta, GA @ Buckhead Theatre #
Tue 3.31 – Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel #
Wed 4.01- Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore Charlotte #
Fri 4.03 – Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore Silver Spring #
Sat 4.04 – New Haven, CT @ College Street Music Hall #
Sun 4.05 – Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall #
Tue 4.07 – Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre #
Wed 4.08 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues #
Fri 4.10 – Montreal, QC @ MTELUS #
Sat 4.11 – Toronto, ON @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre #
Mon 4.13 – Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre #
Tue 4.14 – Chicago, IL @ The Vic Theatre #
Wed 4.15 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue #
Fri 4.17 – Denver, CO @ The Mission Ballroom #
Sat 4.18 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot #
Mon 4.20 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater #
Tue 4.21 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo #
Wed 4.22 – Vancouver, BC @ Orpheum Theatre #
Fri 4.24 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater #
Sat 4.25 – Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues #
Sun 4.26 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern #