Text and images by Jordyn Cordner.
It’s no surprise that prolific pop punk legends Say Anything and Philadelphia natives and favorites mewithoutYou sold out the TLA last Thursday. It was an intense show full of crowd engagement.
North Carolina natives Museum Mouth opened the show with their candid brand of indie pop-rock, reminding the crowd that their new record, Popcorn Fish Guinea Pig, was released on April 29th, via, as they told the audience, “some guy named Max Bemis’ record label.”
Maryland’s noisy fan favorites Teen Suicide played next, showcasing their gloomy brand of ambient noise rock. The overall fuzz and punch of their set was interrupted by their cover of hip-hop-rock-fusion band Flobots’s hit single, “Handlebars.” From the opening bars of the cover, cell phones were whipped out of pockets and fans recorded the spectacle as the crowd cheers and raps along.
MewithoutYou followed.
“We’ve been a band for a long time,” vocalist Aaron Weiss told the crowd after the band performed a handful of post-rock hits. “Thanks for still coming out to see us.”
Weiss spent the set cradling the microphone between both hands, whipping around to the very back of the stage and hightailing back to the front. Adoring fans leaned into the barrier, entranced with Weiss’s emotive antics. Voices loudly joined his as the band played one of their fan favorite songs, “Allah, Allah, Allah.” The room bellowed, “If your old man did you wrong / Well maybe his old man did him wrong.” The band walked off stage to chanted pleas of “One more song, one more song!”
As the lights dimmed, the crowd began the first stages of what would be an eruption. Pop punk rock superhero Max Bemis walked across the stage to a whirlwind of cheers and jittery hands reaching toward him. Wails of “Max! Max!” came from voices all over the room.
Bemis smirked, and Say Anything jumped into “Give A Damn,” off of their new album, I Don’t Think It Is.
Bemis was theatrical in his vocals and in his movements, sashaying all over the stage, arms waving, body twisting. He planted one foot on the barrier, leaning into shocked and enthralled fans before jumping back into place. The high intensity set continued, with their guitarist jumping from the stage into the crowd, guitar still strapped on, and kids from the crowd surfing to the front.
One lucky fan got to share Bemis’s microphone before security guard ripped him from the top of the barrier. Bemis’s wife, Sherri DuPree-Bemis, walked across the stage to massive cheers and performed a duet “So Good”with him.
Bemis wound down completely by the end of the set, playing three hit singles solo on an electric guitar. The crowd swooned and sang with him on what are arguably the band’s three biggest hits to date, “Wow, I Can Get Sexual, Too,” “Alive With The Glory Of Love,” and, to end the show, “I Want To Know Your Plans.”
Bemis smiled, moved away from the microphone and told the echoing crowd, “This is beautiful.”
They finished the song and the show was over but Bemis jumped in front of the barrier to shake hands with fans.
Text and images by Tyler Horst.
A posse of Canadians made yet another appearance at Johnny Brenda’s last Wednesday. And no, this time it was not Justin Bieber and his crew. Plants and Animals, a Montreal-based indie rock band headlined a show at the Fishtown bar with supporting acts Wintersleep and Upperfields.
The Philadelphia-based Upperfields opened the evening with their sweeping, anthemic folk-rock. The brightness of vocalist Shaun Gold’s voice set a positive mood for the night.
Wintersleep, the Nova Scotia-based band on tour with Plants and Animals, kicked things up a few levels. Their name runs contrary to the driving rock they tend to favor, performing several songs with a three-guitar arrangement that filled the room with sound. The Canadian act also seems to borrow influence from their neighbors in the south, with Americana-tinged numbers like the arena-ready “Amerika,” which was an easy crowd favorite.
The final act of the night, Plants and Animals, brought a wonderful mix of both instrumentation and styles. With a full five-piece band, Plants and Animals brought a playground of different sounds, from dark and moody to bright and dance-able, sometimes within the same song.
“It’s been a long time. A lot has changed, in everyone’s life, probably,” joked vocalist Warren Spicer to the assembled crowd.
The band played mostly from their latest release, Waltzed in From the Rumbling, like the infectious, marching bounce of “No Worries Gonna Find Us,” to the airy and soulful “Flowers.”
Text by Anna Mraz. Images by Teresa McCullough.
A line curled around the corner of N. Broad Street and Ridge Avenue, with people old and young waiting excitedly for their chance to view the lobby of the Philadelphia landmark, the Divine Lorraine. N. Sheikh‘s Divine Lorraine Hotel Collection pop-up shop was open to the public.
Bella Robertson was especially happy to see the grand hotel re-animated and teaming with life from all parts of the community. That’s how she remembers it. She grew up in a city divided by segregation, but there was no such nonsense inside the walls of the Divine.
“Oh, it was beautiful,” she said.“We had everything – the playground, the school, everything like that. We came to the Divine to eat. Anyone could come, didn’t matter who, anybody off the streets. Any race, any religion. You were welcome as long as you cleaned and said your peace.”
She reflected upon the happiness of that time and laughed, recalling the burlesque club that stood where Jimmy G’s Steaks is now.
In 1948 the Lorraine Hotel became the Divine Lorraine, under it’s new owner, Father M.J. Divine. A lot of mystery surrounded him, but it is agreed that he cut a very powerful figure (he claimed to be a God) despite his height of 5’2.” His organization, the International Peace Mission Movement, promoted racial equality and economic independence for its followers. He also contributed to the Civil Rights movement, remaining an active speaker and spiritual leader until his death in 1965.
The walls of the lobby are crumbling now. The layers of paint tell stories of glamorous days past but are now flaking away into dust. The structure still stands, however, as does the spirit of a community coming together to celebrate the greater good. Perhaps there is something to be said for the immortality of Father Divine’s life mission. Not immortal in body but rather in spirit, his message comes to mind as the visitor’s eye took in the vibrant and splashy installation pieces by local artists like MECRO, Dessie Jackson, Dewey Saunders, Amber Lynn, Drew Leshko, Mike Whitson and GERM.
The MECRO piece stole the show, with fashionably dressed visitors posing for pictures in front that are definitely cover-photo worthy. There was a small, pink cloud of an archway graffiti painting that evokes the apse paintings of late Byzantine/ early Christian art. The “paper” cranes made of hand-blown glass are a subtle and welcome addition, produced by a feat of technical skill and a mind of peace. Collectively, the installations were a visual celebration of the building’s new life.
The capsule collection on display was the second release of a variety of streetwear for SS16. Thanks to Brooks Bell and his collaborators at DECADES, they are wildly popular and on trend. Bella Robertson picked up the pink classic cap with the Divine Lorraine logo.
Of course, no party would be complete without a soundtrack, and in this instance Jason Hunter (Locals Only) and Ed Cristoff (Danceteria) punctuated the soft hum of mingling crowds with their fluid beats.
The daily, communal dinners have been replaced by art and music but the Divine is still a place of community and worship. The pop up shop was a resounding success and the future of the Divine Lorraine Hotel looks bright as it sits on the precipice of development into apartments.
The Obsessives: Two Guys on the Same Page.
Text by Tim Mulhern. Images by Magdalena Papaioannou.
The Obsessives’ approach to performing live is a good analogy for the years the duo has spent together as friends and musicians.
Guitarist and vocalist Nick Bairatchnyi uses a signal splitter to run his guitar through a guitar amplifier and bass amplifier to give his fingerpicked melodies more depth. Drummer Jackson Mansfield anchors the band’s sound, hitting his drums as hard as he can.The Obsessives’ approach to performing live is a good analogy for the years the duo has spent together as friends and musicians.
They don’t perform with anyone else because they don’t need to. They have each other and that is more than enough.
Virtually inseparable since meeting in 8th grade drama class, Bairatchnyi and Mansfield began making music together at the after-school music program, School of Rock, in Silver Spring, Maryland.
The two experimented in bands with other musicians in the program but always felt most comfortable writing, recording and performing with one another. It wasn’t until they saw “Under Great White Northern Lights,” the 2007 documentary centered on The White Stripes’ tour of Canada, that performing as a two-piece seemed feasible.
“I think you meet a couple people in your life who you’re on the same page with,” Bairatchnyi says.
After a short stint as a blues-rock band – not unlike the aforementioned The White Stripes – Bairatchnyi and Mansfield quickly discovered influences like Say Anything and The Sidekicks, which inspired them to play the emo-leaning punk found on their most recent recordings.
“We went to go see Say Anything and then we were like, ‘Maybe we should try open tunings,’” Bairatchnyi says.
In their current iteration, The Obsessives cut their teeth playing shows at Northern Virginia DIY spaces The Lab and The CD Cellar, where the idea of touring in support of their music was first presented to them. During the summer after their senior year of high school, Bairatchnyi and Mansfield embarked on a 40-date U.S. tour.
Devoting a majority of the last two years of their time in high school to the band meant they were committed to making music, so it wasn’t a surprise when the two suggested taking time off before college to focus on the band.
Bairatchnyi and Mansfield knew that Philadelphia was a good place for the band to develop, so Bairatchnyi messaged friends in the area in an effort to find roommates. Ryan Collins, who provided them with a place to stay in the city on their second tour, and who currently works with the band as tour manager, offered Bairatchnyi and Mansfield a room in the Michael Jordan house in West Philly. Eager to make the move, the two accepted.
The duo addresses the often-hard-to-swallow realities of adolescence on Heck No, Nancy, their debut LP. Recorded during a two-day stint in a Fort Wayne, Indiana studio, their initial effort was released with the help of Near Mint, a label based in Virginia and Indiana.
Bairatchnyi says the band’s involvement with the label is one of the primary reasons he and Mansfield are still pursuing music.
James Cassar, the band’s manager, and Corey Purvis, who together run Near Mint, discovered the duo through a Bandcamp keyword search of “emo” and “Washington D.C.” Cassar was hoping to find a band local to northern Virginia, where he attended high school and lives today, to help launch Near Mint.
“Pretty much all Corey and I wanted to do was help build a band,” Cassar says.
Purvis was hooked on the band’s sound, but Cassar was not immediately convinced. After listening to Manners, the duo’s 2014 EP, Cassar and Purvis decided to reach out to the band.
Later, after hearing rough demos of Heck No, Nancy tracks that Bairatchnyi sent him, Cassar was convinced The Obsessives would follow in the footsteps of seminal punk and emo bands that came before them.
Bairatchnyi and Mansfield were on separate vacations at the same beach with their families when they received an email from Cassar and Purvis asking to re-release Manners, which would be the label’s first project. Later, the label released Heck No, Nancy.
The passion and dedication the band has for their art is evident. They are aware of their roles as writers, musicians and performers and they take the responsibility seriously.
Queen of Jeans: A Band With Vision.
Text by Andy Polhamus. Portraits by Morgan Smith.
Miriam Devora does not smoke pot. This, she acknowledges, might come as a surprise to the rock critics who have praised her band.
“I’m not a stoner in any way,” she says over a beer in Center City.
It’s late January, just a few days after two feet of snow were dumped on Philadelphia, and the band has hunkered down in Oscar’s Tavern on Sansom Street.
“I’ve done it a handful of times and I just got paranoid,” Devora says.
In a few days, Queen of Jeans will play a sold-out album release show at Kung Fu Necktie. Their self-titled EP has already gained distribution in the U.K., thanks to London-based Super Fan 99 Records. Back in the States, Indianapolis label Third Uncle Records has taken up the QoJ cause – all this before 26-year-old Devora, along with guitarist Matheson Glass, 27, bassist Nina Scotto, 28 and drummer Patrick Wall, also 28, have played a dozen shows together.
Queen of Jeans formed in early 2015, borrowing their name from the iconic South Philly denim outlet King of Jeans.
Devora was in a psychedelically influenced band at the time and wrote the first batch of songs as a side project. She made Queen of Jeans her top priority after Glass and Scotto signed on. Wall joined six months later after answering a Craigslist ad on a whim.
“We’d basically been casually online-dating drummers,” Glass now says.
In true Millennial fashion, the band found it difficult to seal the deal with people they’d met on the Internet.
“No one wanted to commit to us,” says Scotto, grinning.
But eventually, they found that commitment. Wall, like Scotto and Glass, was drawn to the completeness of Devora’s songwriting craft.
“I could tell that this was a band that had a vision,” Wall says. “I was immediately excited.”
“It’s worth mentioning you didn’t have a drum kit,” Devora adds. This little jab is true, as it turns out – Wall’s first time playing the songs on actual drums was the day he joined the band.
Devora says her influences skip the majority of recent college rock. Instead, she draws a more direct line back to the 1960s, citing girl groups like The Ronettes. In fact, the only contemporary act she acknowledges as an influence is Warpaint.
“I’ve seen someone use the word ‘stoner’ to describe us three times in 500 words,” says Wall. “One person said we would be too high to notice if we ever got popular.”
But if you want to think of them as a bunch of lovable California burnouts, they’ll take it – even if they respectfully disagree.
“If you put us in the same class as Best Coast, I’d say, ‘I can do that.’ We’re at the mercy of other people, like, ‘What playlist would you put us on?’” says Scotto. “But I haven’t been offended by anything anyone’s said.”
Because everyone in the band is an experienced musician, they’ve been able to avoid rookie embarrassments. There have been no ill-fated dive bar tours and with all four members working day jobs, shows are carefully chosen to make each performance worth the effort.
“We keep busy to the point that sometimes we all complain about it,” says Devora. “But that’s a good complaint to have.”
They’ve been busy in London as well, despite having never been to the city. The EP, recorded in a sweltering, now-defunct Fishtown industrial space last summer, got indie label attention almost by accident.
“The recording process was completely DIY,” says Glass. “Our friend was recording us. He admitted he was learning as he went along but so were we. And it turned out that we liked it.”
Months later, Super Fan 99 founder Luke Barham heard the single “Dance” while listening to Soundcloud at work. “Dance” starts off with a catchy, if unassuming, ‘60s guitar riff before giving way to a brilliant, twinkling chorus. Charmed, Barham asked if he could hear more.
“I like records that transport me to a different time and place; ‘60s and ‘70s-influenced bands with a penchant for the West Coast often tick a lot of my boxes,” he writes in an email. “Everything I put out is rooted in strong melody.”
Queen of Jeans, then, is a perfect fit. Barham has been able to get the band airplay on London’s local indie station and even earned them a few plays on BBC1 radio.
“There is a real craft to their songwriting and journey within many of their songs,” Barham says. “When they sent through the EP, I was pleasantly surprised at how varied and dark it was. They strike me as a band who have a clear vision and unity in how they deliver their songs.”
The early spring will consist of one-off gigs in Philly and New York. The band’s next goal, though, is to impress their moms.
“There’s definitely a Queen of Jeans parents club,” says Scotto.
“And they all want to be mom-agers,” says Devora. “My mom will say, ‘You sound so beautiful. But you need a new wardrobe.’”
She pauses, then adds, “Don’t write that down.”
Hardwork Movement debuts “The Flow Yo” video
The guys from Hardwork Movement just dropped a new video for “The Flow Yo” off their Good Problems album.
These guys stay busy, from XPN’s The Key Studio Sessions to opening for Bernie Sanders.
Thankfully they also found time to sit down for an interview that appears in our issue 20. We haven’t posted the story online yet, so grab a copy here.
Rozes @ Boot & Saddle.
Clad in a crown made of flowers, Elizabeth Mencel, better known as Rozes, walked on to the stage at Boot & Saddle last Thursday and burst into song.
It was a small crowd at first – mostly family and friends, it seemed, but the room quickly filled as she bellowed and howled in the most mellifluous and emotional way.
“Hi, I’m Rozes,” she announced after the first song. “And I’m home.”
The pop singer with intricate and personal lyrics grew up in Montgomeryville and spent a year at Temple University. She took off after her music career started blossoming. Last summer, she released a song with The Chainsmokers, “Roses,” and it became the number one track on the dance/electronic charts in January.
Rozes released her debut album in February and celebrated with a jam-packed show at Boot & Saddle.
Last week, she performed most of the tracks from that album and a few new songs, with the support of a guy on drums and the keys.
“The whole things about Rozes is to be real,” she told the crowd before performing a new song called “Under the Grave.” It’s about her not connecting with friends while dealing with the pressures of the music industry. And she felt bad about it.
Throughout the night, people screamed out her name between songs. And when she performed “Roses,” it seemed as though everyone sang along.
After her last song, Rozes said, “Please come up and say hello. I love to make new friends.”
Then she walked off the stage to MIA’s “Paper Planes” and she greeted fans and took pictures until the next act hit the stage.
On Saturday, the second annual Love On the Streets festival will hit Paine’s Park on the Schuylkill River trail, bringing a full day of art and music. Our Brendan Menapace spoke to Joe Esposito, a graduate of Drexel University and the special events coordinator for Franklin’s Paine Skatepark Fund and Aaron Harel, a music industry major at Drexel and staffer for Mad Dragon, about making this year’s festival even better than last year.
What spurred this idea of the festival?
Joe: I was a long-term volunteer for Franklin’s Paine Skatepark Fund, which is the city’s nonprofit that builds skate parks and advocates for skateboarders. I had ties with them my sophomore year of college, and was in an event position with them. I wanted to do something that involved more pieces of my life, but it also tied in to the greater scheme of things that Franklin’s Paine was looking to do outside of just the skate park. It was really about collaboration. Collaboration is the biggest inspiration in everything I do—just making communities that you never think mesh, mesh in some sort of way. So, last year, we had circus arts.
Aaron: Yeah, there were like 30 kids on a trapeze next to like punk bands.
J: To me, it was literally about bringing worlds together that you wouldn’t see.
A: And it was all Philly-based.
J: It’s a day of just Philly love. That’s why we named it Love On the Streets. It’s about the love of Philly street artists. Artists being visual, musicians, skateboarding as an art, dance, whatever it may be, that’s what we wanted to do.
A: And the art of drinking. We added beer this year!
So aside from the addition of beer this year, what else is new this year?
J: We have DistoArt.
A: He’s a renowned street artist. He has murals all over the city. He’s a big player, and he’s coming through to do some live murals. The biggest thing this year is that we now have $2,000 in cash to give to skateboarders.
J: So last year’s skate piece was a demo, and it was a demo from a Philadelphia group of young skaters like ages 8 to 15. These kids were absolutely mind blowing. But we wanted to up the ante and have the community be involved this year, so we took that skateboard aspect and made it a competition.
A: So there’s going to be a qualifying round during the day and then a little later in the afternoon are the finals. So people will be competing for this cash prize. And they’ll get other things, like gift baskets and they can win golden tickets from Electric Factory and Underground Arts.
What are golden tickets?
A: It just means they are admitted to every show for the rest of their lives.
So how did you go about picking the bands for this year’s festival?
A: I’m actually really a lot more involved in electronic music, so this festival has been a really awesome challenge for me to book the lineups. We got a nice budget from Mad Dragon to book talent, so, aside from my own personal preference—a few of the bands were just things that I’d like to see—I do a lot of asking around. Because, like we said, this is entirely based on the community, so it’s not just based on what I think was good. I asked many, many, many people. One of the talent buyers at the Electric Factory was funneling me names and sitting down and looking at my list. And many Drexel students would come in while I was working [in the Mad Dragon office] and say, “Oh, what do you think of this?” So, as much as I can, it’s a homie fest, a Philly fest—every artist is from Philly or based in Philly—so that was a big part of it. And wanting to see bands like Steady Hands. It’s always awesome to see them. It was a massive community effort.
What are you looking forward to most?
J: When the first band hits the stage, we can just cheese from ear to ear. When the first act goes on, the day starts. That’s the best part.
A: Last year was so smooth. I’ve run other events, and we just have the best team ever. I’m not used to working with people who don’t suck. This team is on top of shit. I’m looking forward to everything just flowing. Every vendor that left last year was happy, every artist was happy.
Did you guys run into any obstacles at all?
J: The planning process, you’re always going to find obstacles.
A: It’s tough fundraising a festival that’s completely free, other than food and beer. We pay most of the bands, some of the smaller bands are playing for free. But it’s tough finding sponsors, finding the money to get a sound system, everything to run the festival down to like wristbands and golf cars.
J: Funding everything from wristbands to headlining acts [like Lithuania, pictured above].
During the blizzard, some people spraypainted all over Paine’s and ripped out wiring for the lights. Has any of that put a damper on this?
J: We’re trying to address it in the best way possible. It’s absolutely terrible. By bringing these graffiti artists into the festival, we’re trying to promote that real rich natural art, rather than some kids being idiots.
A: There are just super talented artists coming in. That dude Get Up has a lot of signature things that you’ll see all over Philly. These are established street artists who make beautiful art and don’t just fuck shit up.
J: I believe we’re doing a quick buff job before the festival, too. We’re going to do just the amphitheater so it’s picture-worthy. The whole thing with the lights set us back a little bit, too. We had to get an electrician.
How long have you been working on this, then?
J: Since about November.
A: We tried to get started on it earlier this year.
J: We started conceptualizing last year in January, and we started conceptualizing this year in November, so everything was ready to execute in January.
This is an all-day thing. What does the schedule look like?
A: First band goes on at noon, last band finishes at 9. It’s going to be three bands, then three DJ’s during the skate competition. They’re going to be DJing hip-hop for them to skate to.
J: After the skate competition, the beer garden opens, and then the last four bands go on. Then we have art going on all day, vendors and food trucks all day, and raffles. We have tons of giveaways.
A: Mad Dragon is actually giving us custom screen-printed skateboards to give away. There’ll be a lot of free stuff.
Paine’s isn’t that big. How are you fitting all of this?
J: We ask ourselves that every day.
A: It’s comfy in the best way.
J: Honestly, we do get a little close, like we do kind of piece everything together real tight.
How many people are you anticipating showing up this year?
J: Last year we had about 1,500 for the full day. So we estimate about double that for this year, so 3,000.
A: We can’t really turn anyone away, because it’s along the Schuylkill River Trail, so there’s people coming and going all day.
J: And it’s not like it’s closed off or have to pay admission. It’s literally all doors open. And most of the activity goes on around the perimeter of the park.
Sometimes free shows can get crazy, as we saw with the Radio 104.5 Block Party at the Piazza a few years back. Are you guys worried about anything like that?
A: Actually, no. It’s such a mixed crowd that everyone keeps each other in check.
J: It’s everyone from 8 years old to 60. Philly Jesus was there.
A: It’s so balanced across the board.
J: That’s what I love about it. The crowd that is drawn to Paine’s on a day to day basis is going to be totally different than the crowd at the festival. Pieces of that crowd that are there every day will be at the festival, but it’s going to be an all-encompassing event so there’s so many different flavors, and tastes—I’m referring to people as tastes…
A: It’s a full day event. The music is not just drawing younger crowds. I think that is something we have to keep in mind, though. It’s a good thing to keep in mind. I’m just basing it off of last year, but this year we’re adding beer. But with the beer comes police detail, which we had last year but we’re having more this year. It’s tough to explain, but it’s not that type of crowd. Obviously we’ll keep it safe.
Let’s say everything goes off without a hitch this year. You double your numbers, everything is perfect and you’re set to get bigger next year. What artists would you go to?
A: Modern Baseball for sure. They’re all going to be at the festival anyway. They might as well play. Those guys are just the Philly heads. They’re just such a great demonstration of how Philly punk DIY takes things to the rest of the world.
J: And I think we have room to have more genre diversity and bring in some hip-hop heads, because hip-hop is so synonymous with skate culture.
A: Just artist names aside, we want so much more hip-hop.
J: Right now we’re technically Philadelphia’s largest skateboard festival because we’re Philadelphia’s only skateboard festival.
A: We also talked about doing a more constant thing, like a smaller monthly thing.
J: Almost like First Friday. LOTSa Fridays! Oh, we also have LOTSa Radness. Do you know Philly Radness? The art display here [at Drexel]?
A: There’s a skateable art instillation, and we’re partnering with them to have a free pre-part on the 12th. with a food truck outside. We’re getting Brandon Can’t Dance, Horse Cops and a solo set from Old Maybe. So it’ll be two in row, free skate and music festivals.
What happens if it rains?
Both: It’s not going to rain!
Text by McCall Cox. Images by Sydney Schaefer.
The Used played a two night engagement at the Electric Factory last week to celebrate the band’s 15 year anniversary, with touring support from The New Regime.
The New Regime opened the first night at 8 p.m., producing a wall from the three-piece act. The band features Ilan Rubin on vocals and guitar, brother Daniel Rubin on bass and Hayden Scott on drums.
“Thank you for joining us,” Ilan Rubin greeted the crowd after the first song. “We are extremely excited to be back in Philly.”
He added that on the band’s previous tour, they performed at Johnny Brenda’s.
The trio originates from San Diego, and they bring a unique sound with them that plays on all variations of rock. The New Regime originally began in 2009 as Ilan Rubin’s solo project.
“I imagine that most of you have never heard of us before, which is actually fantastic,” Ilan Rubin said, explaining how exciting it is to play to new audiences. “We know we’re a bit different but we hope you enjoy it. Music is supposed to be something fun and different so we hope you like it.”
The New Regime performed songs such as “Don’t Chase It,” “Say What You Will” and “Strong Arm Tomorrow.”
Ilan Rubin also excited the crowd for The Used, while expressing his gratitude toward the band.
“The Used have been great enough to bring us along,” he said.“So we wanna give The Used a big, ol’ thanks.”
The first night of the shows was devoted to The Used’s first, self-titled album. The stage was decorated with naked mannequins bearing black X’s and other markings, designed to resemble the artwork of the first album.
Red flashing lights and a wailing siren announced the band’s arrival, with singer Bert McCracken waving a flag on stage. The band went directly into the first track of their debut album, “Maybe Memories.”
The quartet features Bert McCracken on vocals, Justin Shekoski on guitar, Dan Whitesides on drums and Jeph Howard on bass. They originally formed in Utah in 2001.
“These albums, these records, are bigger than the four of us on stage,” McCracken said. “It’s really about our life—our life story. If you feel like you grew up with The Used, then I’m right there with you. These are my stories as well as yours.”
Before beginning “The Taste of Ink,” he continued, “One thing that I’ve seen with my very own eyes is the impact music has on this planet and how it really changes peoples’ lives forever. So if you believe like I believe, Pennsylvania, that music really can and does change this fucked up world that we live in, then please put your hands in the air with me.”
McCracken said that he wrote the lyrics to the next song, “Bulimic,” after being in a very broken and abusive relationship.
“I want to really take a moment tonight with each of these songs and kind of think back to where I was and maybe where you were when you first heard these songs,” he said. “I want to remind everyone that at a Used show, we insist that you be your childlike-selves once again. Make sure you remember that nobody in here is gonna judge you or try to fucking fight you.”
McCracken said that when he was growing up, music wasn’t the biggest part of his life. It was my religion. He then explained that their song “Poetic Tragedy” was originally a poem.
“I think this poem and this song are really about how fragile life is,” he said. “IAnd if there’s people out there who you love, I strongly suggest you take the time to tell them you love them before it’s too late. So Philadelphia, from my balls—from my heart and my balls—I love you. I have to tell you that before it’s too late.”
McCracken later took a moment to discuss the reactions and stories fans have related to The Used’s freshman and sophomore albums.
“People say that they grew up with these first two records,” he said. “They made me who I am today. We hear a lot that these first two records saved someone’s life. I want you to know that that is my story as well. These first two records have saved my life over and over again.”
“And if you don’t know how that works, it’s really simple: when you start to feel like you can’t live on this planet anymore, just put on your favorite record from your favorite bands and you wait until tomorrow. I guarantee you, the next day you’re going to feel different. And if you don’t, put on those records again and wait till the next day. This life is worth living Philly. You can fucking cheer for that. In our lives, this music is fucking everything.”
McCracken added that the next song, “On My Own,” was about the power of music to overcome any other aspect of life, like war and religion.
“I have to really, as sincerely as I possibly can—I have to thank the hardcore Used fans for sticking around,” McCracken said. “Let us consider this the beginning of another fucking beautiful 15 years to come. I hope you have all had the best time of your life and I hope you made some tangible memories that might last. Until tomorrow night, we love you. And we are The fucking Used.”
The Used closed with the final track of the self titled album, “Pieces Mended,” reappearing for an encore of the song “Choke Me,” which is found as a hidden track at the end of the album.
The New Regime warmed up the crowd for the second night as well, with their alternative rock songs featuring piano intros and guitar solos.
“For those of you who were here last night, we’re going to change things up a little,” Ilan Rubin said of the setlist after introducing the band. “For those of you who weren’t, it’s so nice to meet you.”
The New Regime played a mix of new songs as well as tracks that were performed the night before. The band’s setlist included songs such as “We Rise, We Fall,” “Mannequin,” “Say What You Will” and “Daydream.”
“Where were you guys last night?” Ilan Rubin asked of the crowd, joking about how much more enthusiastic the crowd was on the second night.
“Tonight marks the halfway point of the tour and we’re having an incredible time and that’s because of you,” he added.
The second night of the tour was dedicated to the second album The Used produced, In Love and Death. The stage was adorned with a large red heart strung up on a gnarled, white tree—the iconic cover artwork for the sophomore album.
As the lights dimmed, a red light flashed in the heart to mimic a heartbeat, gradually building until The Used appeared on stage, beginning immediately with the record’s first track, “Take It Away.”
“Thank you very much Philadelphia for helping us celebrate 15 beautiful years,” McCracken said after the first song. “Welcome to night two! This is In Love And Death.”
“Since this is a love song, let’s start things off with a little bit of love,” McCracken said. “I want you to put both arms up in the air and, like we’re all 14 and on our first date. I want you to put your arms around the people next to you—like it’s one big, giant hug. Do you feel the love in this room? Let’s burn this fucking place to the ground.”
And the end of the emotional set, McCracken thanked the Electric Factory crowd once again, saying, “This has always been and will always be one of my favorite places in the world to play. I hope everyone has had as much fun as I’ve had. I’ve had an absolute blast. Now that I’m positive that there are numerous dedicated, die-hard fans here, I’m going to fully trust in you guys that you know this poem by heart.”
McCracken then began reciting the poem that prefaces the last track of the album, “I’m A Fake.”
The Used rejoined the stage for a one-song encore of “Pretty Handsome Awkward,” from their album Lies For The Liars.
“Before we leave, let’s split this crowd down the middle,” McCracken said, preparing the audience for the “Wall of Death” and asking the crowd to “run at each other like a bunch of fucking wild animals.”
“We love you guys. Please take care of each other. Peace,” said McCracken at the end of the show, throwing a peace sign to the audience before exiting the stage.
Following the show, The New Regime said it has been enjoyable to tour alongside The Used.
“It’s been awesome,”Daniel Rubin said. “The bands are mellow and everyone gets along. It’s very easy and nice.”
When asked after the show about how it feels to celebrate 15 years of music, McCracken was quietly humbled by the experience of it all.
“It’s fantastic,”he said. “We’ve seen a lot of bands come and go so to still be able to play shows with so much love and support? It’s humbling. Another 15 years of music? Of course.”
JUMP: The Philly Music Project 