Text and images by Tyler Horst.
The intimate space of Underground Arts became a maelstrom of chaos Wednesday night when a sold-out crowd threw down to two legends of the underground—Napalm Death and The Melvins—on their Savage Imperial March Tour along with Japanese noise-rockers Melt-Banana.
It was an eclectic mix that made perfect sense.
Before the first set, curious onlookers came to the front of the stage to gaze at the dense array of effect pedals laid out on the floor for Melt-Banana guitarist Ichirou Agata and snap some photos for further study. When the band took the stage, the purpose of the complex arrangement of gadgetry became clear to those unfamiliar with the band as Agata started into a layered crescendo of squawks, beeps, crunches and other tones not typically heard from a guitar.
The band then launched into a furious set of songs that combined elements of chiptune, grindcore, noise and even some pop, that threw the crowd into an immediate gleeful frenzy. Vocalist Yasuko Onuki led the charge with a brightly lit remote that controlled the electronica elements and programmed drums, yipping and howling along to the impossibly fast songs.
It’s not every day that you’d consider the sludgy, grunge-metal sounds of The Melvins to be a moment to breathe, but on this night they were.
The majestically coiffed King Buzzo walked on stage in a dress covered with sewn-on eyes. Bandmates Dale Crover and Steven McDonald wore simple black shirts emblazoned with sequins that spelled out Drums and Bass, respectively. The odd costuming is just part of the band’s goofy sense of humor.
“It’s great to be back in the City of Brotherly Shove,” said Crover to roars from the audience.
The Melvins played selections from their decades-long catalog, including tracks from their soon-to-be-released album Basses Loaded. The heavy, rolling riffs, thick bass and full-body drumming pummeled an excited, moshing crowd.
Rounding out the night were English grindcore pioneers Napalm Death.
Comedian Jim Carrey once joked about the guttural growls of vocalist Barney Greenway during an interview on the “Arsenio Hall Show,” saying, “You know, one day this guy is going to want to slow down and do some duets.”
But Greenway, now in his late 40s, showed no signs of “slowing down” in his 20-plus years in the band, flailing around the stage and barking into the mic like a wild man. He hasn’t abandoned his punk-rock attitude either.
“We have saying in England which is, ‘Know your place,’” Greenway told the pumped-up crowd. “I say bollocks to that. Your place is wherever you feel it fucking should be.”
It turned out that night that the crowd decided to be all over the place. It was impossible to stay in once place as mosh pits spread out, beers sprayed crazily through the air and many people repeatedly leapt on stage to dive back into the crowd.
Beyond The Bars: Juvenile Attention.
Text by Kyle Bagenstose. Photo by Branden Eastwood.
Matthew Kerr is promoting an idea that pushes back against the crushing momentum of modern education policy. That in a time when music and the arts are often the first budget line items on the chopping block for school districts, particularly in Philadelphia, they are in fact one of the most effective tools to keeping youth out of trouble.
“Why music? Because many students in Philadelphia have been exposed to a large amount of trauma in their lives,” explains Kerr, 23. “These students have the same emotions as anyone else… and without arts and music, they’re often denied healthy means to express their experience in a society that continually tells them they’re nothing.”
Through his nascent nonprofit, Beyond the Bars, Kerr is directly encouraging some of the city’s most at-risk youth to express themselves productively. Founded in the fall of 2015, Kerr and the organization’s volunteers head twice a week into the Philadelphia Industrial Corrections Center (PICC) in Northeast Philadelphia to teach music to juvenile inmates between the ages of 14 and 17.
Toting along instruments like guitars, bass, drums and keys, Kerr and other instructors work with anywhere from several to a dozen students at a time. They teach them whatever they want to learn and pack in as much jam time in as possible. Kerr, a 2014 graduate of Temple University’s education program, says he has learned from working with traditional students in schools around Philadelphia that having a chance to play as a group can actually be more important than the learning component.
“A lot of students quit if they don’t get something right away,” Kerr says. “But when they play together, they get instant gratification. And I want my students to feel like musicians.”
Kerr says the program has been a success so far. Many of the students keep showing up and the classes have an influential, inside supporter in Karen Bryant, deputy commissioner of Operations & Emergency Services with the Philadelphia Prisons System.
Bryant’s daughter was one of Kerr’s students when he worked as a music program coordinator at the Charter High School for Architecture and Design, and sung the graces of his teaching style to her mother.
“The youth who participate in Beyond the Bars consider it a lifeline,” Karen Bryant says. “Jail is day after day of the same thing. So, for those who participate, they cannot wait for the two days of the week to get together with someone outside who shows that they care and gives them such a great tool.”
But the program’s success has led to new problems. Some students turn 18 and transfer to adult corrections, and still more finish their time and leave the facility. Kerr says the latter route is a dangerous prospect, adding that 70 percent of kids who leave juvenile facilities are back within a year.
“I had a student that was like, ‘I love this but I’m getting out in two weeks and I don’t have an instrument,’” Kerr says. “And I’m like, ‘Aw shit. I’m just a Band-Aid right now.’ I’m just helping kill time.”
Finding a dearth of music nonprofits that help youth navigate the transition out of juvenile prison, Kerr has established a relationship between Beyond the Bars and The Center for Returning Citizens (TCRC), an organization that provides a variety of services to people leaving correctional facilities. Starting this spring, Kerr says Beyond the Bars will be using space in a TCRC building at Seventh Street and Girard Avenue to continue educating students who left PICC.
But more than just keep teaching music, it’s Kerr’s hope that students will begin utilizing the center’s other services, such as job training, legal aid and counseling, to their advantage.
“Our end game is a very holistic experience,” Kerr says. “We want to hook them (with the music) and then we want to help them get access to careers.”
Jondhi Harrell, founder and executive director of TCRC, says programs like Beyond the Bars are essential in helping to make prison more than just a repressive and punitive place for inmates.
“What Matthew and his staff [are] doing is dynamic, needed and should be part of the model of rehabilitation and restorative justice,” Harrell says. “Prison should be a place of transformation and change. Learning a new skill that can further your ability to move forward in life is critical. Mastering music is a way to give confidence to young people and show them that many things are possible.”
And Kerr himself has completed a personal transformation. The education major and former member of Philadelphia rock outfit Family Vacation has chosen to live the nonprofit life. Last fall, he mostly left the formal world of education behind and took a job with the nonprofit Community Integrated Services. The 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. hours afford him afternoon daylight to meet with stakeholders for Beyond the Bars and free up his evenings for classes at PICC and TCRC.
He’s brought on a handful of other executives to run the business side of the organization and now enlists the services of about a dozen instructors. At the moment, all are working for free as donations and other financial support goes to purchasing and maintaining equipment.
Kerr is looking for support from all levels of the city’s music scene. He hopes to grow a more diverse roster of teaching volunteers – as most of the current volunteers are white – and also seeks donations of cash and gear. He encourages bands to throw benefit shows of any size.
“Even if it’s just a basement show with $50 … hey cheers, that’s great,” Kerr says.
He hopes to soon get his volunteers some pay and has stepped up his fundraising efforts. The Districts will be headlining a benefit show on April 17 at World Cafe Live and Kerr expects it to be a major boon to Beyond the Bars’ coffers. Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Connor Barwin, a growing philanthropist of the arts and disadvantaged populations, along with Eagles lineman Jason Kelce, have thrown their weight behind Kerr’s effort.
“I’m excited to get to meet them and try to hug them but my hands probably aren’t going to reach around them,” Kerr says, laughing. “And I’ll also thank Barwin for sacking Tom Brady.”
Text by Erik Whipp. Images by Magdalena Papaioannou.
After a day that could not figure out whether it was winter or spring, the Electric Factory opened its doors to fans of all ages for a Saturday to remember.
The stage was set and a wide-breadth of DJs and performers with varying influences were scheduled to hit the stage. The show welcomed those of all ages and backgrounds to dance the night away. As the fans packed into the venue, Wax Future hit the stage to showcase their take on electronic funk music.
Philly’s own Wax Future performed as a two-piece band. The crowd roared as the two men took hold of their respective instruments and began their sound check. Using only a DJ board and live guitar, Wax Future showed Philly their own brand of new age funk music. As their set began, the crowd put away their cell phones and erupted with admiration and danced energetically. Masterfully executed crescendos created a tension and release where the crowd would have moments of relaxation followed by sounds that gave birth to more dancing. The two musicians embodied their music, the guitarists had an infectious energy as he moved with the music while his partner displayed intense focus on the boards.
As Wax Future’s set came to a close, the fans packed in closer and closer to the stage. Next, Wisconsin’s Melvv took the stage.
Melvv, the 19-year-old DJ, introduced his set with an ethereal track that incorporated an EDM beat with filtered synths and minimal drums. As the song came to a close, the DJ pulled his flat brim hat down toward his eyes, gave a smirk and the rest of the set was filled with trap influences and catchy melodies. The crowd was a sea of hands, swaying to the beats, reacting to the few and far between comments from Melvv with intense uproars of admiration.
As Melvv took his final bow, many began to anticipate the arrival of Louis the Child, the production duo from Chicago.
Louis the Child is heavily known for their hit song, “It’s Strange.” The duo has garnered critical acclaim within the pop EDM genre, air time on radio stations like the BBC and KCRW, and they also have been placed on Snapchat’s 2016 “EDM Artists to Watch.” One thing is for sure, they did not leave the crowd disappointed.
The duo played an assortment of music, mostly EDM. Some notable songs were “It’s Strange, Ridin’ Around” by Oshi and “Down for Whatever” by Imad Royal. The upbeat tunes, dirty drops and memorable melodies infected the crowd at every transition. Whenever a new song began, the crowd would erupt with screams and applause. The two DJs were enjoying their moment in the limelight as well, their energy seldom ceased as they would jump up and off of their DJ table throughout the set.
By the time Louis the Child’s set was finished, the Electric Factory was at capacity. The smokey stage was illuminated with blue light as Big Gigantic’s crew prepped the stage for the two artists. As the members emerged from the blue smoke, the crowd erupted and it began.
The artists came out of the gate at full speed, playing a remix of Major Lazer’s 2015 single “Wave (feat. Kalis Uchis).” The two performers burst with energy. The drummer encouraged the audience to clap along while playing upright. Directly to his left, the saxophonist controlled the DJ board while playing beautiful, modern sax chords. The two were completely in their element, smiling throughout the set, always making sure to communicate with the crowd. The duo had the crowd in the palm of their hand, playing nostalgic songs like “Teach Me How to Dougie” and “I Gotta Go.” It was evident in their control of the crowd that this Colorado crew was born to perform.
The only upset in Big Gigantic’s set was the appearance of recorded drums throughout their set. Little to no audio was audible from the drummer’s performance as you moved toward the back of the venue. The drummer would incorporate intricate fills into the arrangement but the only audible drums sounded electronic and pre recorded. The live drums were not completely inaudible, there were moments of snare hits and crashes. However, the majority of what the audience heard did not match up with what was being performed.
Big Gigantic will return to Philadelphia for Camp Bisco in mid July with various other artists.
Text by Donte Kirby. Images by Emily Dubin.
The three passionate voices of Andy Hull, Casey Crescenzo and Nathan Hussey delivered an evening of acoustic majesty at Underground Arts for the last show of their tour.
The night was a simple, intimate affair. Each artist walked to the stage, picked up their acoustic guitar and performed sets that were as much conversations with the crowd as performances.
Nathan Hussey, the lead singer of All Get Out, was the first to play, starting with “Being Cold.”
Hussey’s performance dripped with snark and wit. After “Being Cold,” he said, “This next song is called squirrel. If you don’t want to buy an album about squirrels, that’s fine with me. It’s already made millions.”
The song was less about squirrels and more about life and Hussey’s analysis of his navigation through it.
At the end of Hussey’s set, he wanted the crowd to know two things: “One, this is the most applause I’ve ever gotten and two, thank you to Andy and Casey for taking me out on this tour.”
The crowd was as much a part of the show as the performers. A fan who may or may not have been drunk shouted, “Turn up!”
Hussey retorted, “Shut up, you can hear it better.”
The response was greeted with laughter and applause. It was all in good fun as Hussey qualified his quip with a lighthearted, “Or you can do what you want.”
Casey Crescenzo of The Dear Hunter kept up the humor and intimacy that permeated the night. He reminisced on stage about how he and Hull met back in 2010.
“The first thing we did, having never met each other, was wrestle in front of our bands,” said Crescenzo. “It wasn’t aggressive or erotic. We just saw each other and knew we had to do this incredibly stupid thing and we’ve been best friends ever since.”
Crescenzo’s lyrics and vocals were just as passionate and personal as his conversations with the crowd between songs. Applause exploded when Crescenzo used a guttural croon to sing the lyrics “I can’t see the light house” from “Waves.” The mere mention of The Dear Hunter, their album The Color Spectrum or Manchester Orchestra ignited a round of applause. Crescenzo thanked Hull for being there during one of the roughest points in his life and being the catalyst for Crescenzo continuing The Dear Hunter.
When Hull finally graced the stage, Underground Arts was packed from the stage to the entrance. Hull’s first words when he stepped to the microphone were, “Casey, what a dick. I’m so sorry you had to suffer through 30 minutes of that beautiful voice. We’re still not quite sure what to think of that wrestling match.”
The crowd listened with a quiet reverence. During a few songs, like “Tony the Tiger” and “Deer,” a low chorus from the crowd could be heard underneath Hull’s voice.
Before his last song and encore (any fan can guess what song this was), Hull thanked the crowd.
“I’m always amazed that people give a shit,” he said, referring to the adulation his music receives.
Then he serenaded the crowd off into the cold Philly air with “Sleeper 1972,” giving fans one more reason in a long list to give a shit.
The Subways burst onto the scene more than a decade ago when their song “Rock & Roll Queen” landed on the then-hit television show, The OC.
Their loud, brash music was part of the British garage rock revival, which included acts like Arctic Monkeys, The Libertines and Kaiser Chiefs, among many others. The genre may have lost its luster but the acts, including The Subways, have become staples of summer festivals, especially around Europe.
The Subways haven’t played in the United States for a long time, even though they’ve released four well-received studio albums, including a self-titled album in 2015. They have finally returned, with a brief North America tour that has them performing at Milkboy on Wednesday. It should be an amazing show given the energy of the band and the size of the intimate room.
Our G.W. Miller III spoke with the band’s bass player/vocalist, Charlotte Cooper, about life in music and the inspirations for the band that hails from Welwyn Garden City, a lovely, suburban oasis due north of London.
You guys haven’t toured the States for about 8 years.
Yeah, it’s been far, far too long. I’m so happy that we’ve managed to get some things sorted so we can come back. We had tried a few times but nothing quite worked out. I’m really glad we could make this happen.
What didn’t work out in the past?
We’ve been touring a lot across Europe, particularly in England and Germany. Our summers are always booked with the festivals. Getting blocks of time to go to the States hasn’t quite worked. It’s quite difficult to fund that. It’s quite an expensive process. We’ve been working out a way to do it and we’re really glad that we’ve found a way to make it happen.
You spend so much time in Germany! Why do you all speak German so well?
I speak a little bit of German because I learned it at school. That was a very long time ago now. I tend to get more confident after a couple glasses of wine.
I’ve seen you guys do full interviews in German. It’s really impressive.
Billy (lead singer Billy Lunn) likes to learn a little bit of the language everywhere we go. He always sings the chorus to “Rock & Roll Queen” in the language of wherever we are.
How did The Subways first form?
We were just three, really young, bored, suburban kids. Billy and Josh (drummer Josh Morgan) are brothers. They kind of introduced me to rock music, like Nirvana and Oasis. They were already playing together. We thought it’d be really cool to form a band and they asked me if I wanted to learn. Billy taught me how to play.
We started playing local venues and we found out there was a music competition happening, so we entered that. We made a few demos and played, literally, wherever anyone would have us.
A subway in America is different from a subway in the UK. Are the subways in the UK places where kids hang out?
They are mainly in newly built towns, mainly, like, underneath roundabouts or big roads. It’s a tunnel underneath the road. Sometimes they make them quite nice, with green areas within them. The one we used to hang out at? I haven’t been there in years, actually. I assume people still hang out there because people skate there and things like that. It was a cool place for kids to hang out.
Your music is loud and fun and a little rebellious. But you guys grew up in a fairly nice, bucolic neighborhood in the suburbs.
I grew up in a really small village. There was nothing going on. By the time I met Billy and Josh, they weren’t living in a town. It was really a small collection of houses. That drives a level of boredom. It makes you want to look outside of where you are, start listening to music, start playing music. I think that’s where the inspiration comes from.
And you’ve parlayed that into touring the world.
We feel so, so lucky to have traveled to all the places we’ve been to. The thing I’m most proud of is all the places we’ve been to. I feel lucky every day. I made a big map that’s in my living room with little pins for all the places I’ve been. I feel so lucky when I’m looking at that. Wow. I’ve been to all those places! There are still a lot of places to go though.
What are you excited about on this tour to the States?
It’s just everything for me. I can’t wait to explore and see the places I love. And I’m excited to play over there again. It’s been 8 years since we played the States. It’s a big celebration for us, finally being able to come back over there. It’ll be a huge adventure for the four weeks that we’re there.
Your husband has filled in for Josh on drums and you guys have toured in the past with your husband and his band. You were engaged to Billy for a while. Josh is Billy’s brother. You have an interesting dynamic to the band.
On paper, our band situation sounds like a nightmare. But somehow we kind of make it work.
Billy and I have always been really, really good friends. I think the music has always been the thing that drew us together. I’m lucky to have a husband that does the same thing. Sometimes we may not see each other all that much because he’s touring or we’re touring. I think he’s going to make it to some of the tour but he’s really busy at the moment with his own band.
Does he do the triathlon training with you?
He does a little bit. He likes cycling. He’s a good training partner.
When you tour, are you able to run and bicycle?
When we tour around Europe, normally I do take my bike. Our trip to the States is only four weeks and the space in the van is not that big, so if I brought a bike, I think I’d be quite unpopular. I’m just going to run. For me, it’s always a fun way to see new places. I can always nip out for a 30 minute run.
Do you know much about Philadelphia?
I need to know more. We’ve really been in-and-out every time we’ve played there. I’m really looking forward to exploring and seeing more of the city.
Baauer @ Union Transfer with DAYO and Tunji Ige.
Text by Christopher Donahue. Images by Teresa McCullough.
After a heavy pause from DJ-hosted performers, Union Transfer opened its doors last week for Philadelphia native/trap superstar Baauer and his “First Foot Tour.”
The Philly-flavored show, which welcomed hipsters, ravers and an all-ages crowd, started off the night with local DJ DAYO. DAYO is known for the fusion of Nu-Disco, Hip-Hop and some pop favorites. Vanessa Carlton’s “1,000 miles ” was a notable WTF moment that brought pure nostalgia to fans as they slowed down from electronic beats and sang along to classics.
Most electronic fans will tell you that all genres of music are welcomed and appreciated in a scene that represents peace, love, unity and respect. These elements bring together a unique crowd like no other, and with this amalgam came an easy transition into Tunji Ige, a 20-year old West Chester University student who caught the attention of electronic crunk musician ILoveMakonnen. The “Dark Liquor” and “On My Grind” lyricist hyped up the crowd with some beloved hip-hop beats, and then followed into his own tracks from the 2014 mixtape “The Love Project.” The North Philadelphian artist proved that he could be the next best thing in progressive rap (catch him at the JUMP-curated Red Bull Sound Select show at Underground Arts on 4/21 with Moosh & Twist).
At 10:15, Mr. “One Touch” himself took to the stage to live up to the name he’s made for himself in the world of electronic dance music. With his long-awaited debut album Aa (4 years in the making), Harry “Baauer” Rodrigues made sure to do some serious switch hitting on decks. Dropping trap essentials like Flume’s remix of “Hyper Paradise” by Hermitude and Flosstradamus’ “Rollup,” to bass-filled remixes of Rihanna and Missy Elliot, Baauer made sure everyone was getting a rightful taste of what he is known for- a little bit of everything.
As soon as GTA’s “Booty Bounce” was dropped, the crowd was going hard in full force. The crowd moved infectiously to the snare-heavy track “GoGo!” the lead single off Aa that had every raver’s hands in the air. The crowd got rowdier and sweatier as RL Grime & What So Not’s anthem “Tell Me” (Baauer edit) pulsated throughout the room. Any trap music enthusiast will tell you “the harder the better,” as made evident by the mosh pit that nearly scuffed every 18 year olds new Vans.
This show didn’t have the glitzy LED backdrops or pyrotechnics of today’s mainstream dance music shows. It provided us with a producer, his tools and a strobe light. This made the whole experience feel more underground. Think back to the days when Baauer dubbed himself Captain Harry and spun at the Medusa Lounge in Rittenhouse. Nothing has changed except his stage name – that’s for damn sure. Baauer’s energy, spark and love for music is like no other, and he certainly shows it on stage as he parties with his fans. He continues to remind us why he is a festival staple and fan favorite.
Note: “Harlem Shake” was dropped two times…and we were shaking
Beach House @ Union Transfer with Romantic States.
Text and images by Darragh Dandurand.
Baltimore brought the love to Union Transfer last Saturday with jams from headliner Beach House and supporting duo Romantic States.
The starting set was moody, tinted orange and red. Romantic States eased the crowd into a trance that perfectly matched the misty dreams of Beach House’s sound. Their heavy minimalist rock was guided by guitarist Jim Triplett, with gentle verses and whiny vocals. Drummer Ilenia Madelaire starred off, all while keeping the rhythm and pace.
Packed in tight, edgy fans greeted Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally from Beach House as they quietly came on stage. With humbled stage presence, the two, along with a few other tour musicians, played straight into Depression Cherry.
Legrand’s long hair shielded her face, while Scally blended into the foggy background off to the side. Their live performance was comparable to their album recordings. Bursts of radiant light in between the darkness matched their ethereal, haunted vibes.
Dr. Dog @ The Fillmore with Hop Along.
Text and images by Rick Kauffman.
Dr. Dog‘s first show of a split double-header at The Fillmore (they’ll be back next month) brought out all the stops, with a career-spanning deluge of songs from nearly all of their albums.
In reverse chronological order, the band drew in the packed house with back-to-back-to-back jams off their recent release The Psychedelic Swamp before making a trip down memory lane with ‘Say Something’ from the Easy Beat-era and ‘They Way the Lazy Do’ off We All Belong.
Four songs into their encore, they took requests from the audience, starting with ‘Vampire’ off Be the Void and ‘The Rabbit, the Bat & the Reindeer’ from Fate before breaking into their fan-favorite cover of ‘Heart it Races’ by Architecture in Helsinki.
Every time Dr. Dog plays a show in Philadelphia it’s a homecoming of sorts. It always seems like it’s been way too long since they’ve been here. The next show, on April 16 again at The Fillmore, will feel much the same.
Whether it’s nostalgic rock they perform so well, or the highly energetic performance that gets people dancing in ways they wouldn’t expect, the group knows how to put on a show.
A few years ago they were the big draw at the Bethlehem Musikfest where after a 2-hour-long session of Phish-like jams, they invited the crowd to “take a break, get a drink, we’ll be back in a little bit,” and then proceeded to play for another hour. Their brief encore at The Fillmore felt much in the same vein — cool off, because we’re only halfway there.
In many ways, the homecoming vibe was significant thanks to the guest appearances of members of old who returned to fill their spots as if they never left. Passing around percussion instruments and acoustic guitars on stage, they went about their business so casually while everyone was dancing.
Philly’s Hop Along opened the show with a bang. Frances Quinlan has a way of proving that folky indie bands don’t need to be twee, they can hit hard, wail and scream as they ripped through eight songs of their 2015 release Painted Shut.
Lake Street Dive @ The Fillmore with The Suffers.
Text and images by Brianna Spause.
There was a heavy dose of soul at The Fillmore last Friday night as fans – young and old, packed the house at the sold out Lake Street Dive show.
The night started out the night with a powerhouse female performance. Seeming to flaunt a Tina Turner-esque demeanor, Kam Franklin sauntered on stage dressed in a loud sequin dress. Her soulful presence was backed by a big band of nine men, making up the 10-piece neo-soul outfit, The Suffers. The Houston band was largely led by the horn section that got the audience moving.
All warmed up, the audience eagerly anticipated the quirky mash up of classic jazz, retro soul and rock and roll that is Lake Street Dive.
Front woman Rachael Price’s signature brassy vocals electrified the stage immediately, sending grooves in ripples throughout the room. Her carefully crafted, bluesy tones go down as smooth as velvet, and are brought to life with sweet harmonic support from the band.
Leaning on their musical training, Lake Street Dive has been at work for more than a decade, producing brilliant music, both technically and sonically.
Lake Street Dive is made up of Price, Mike Olson on the trumpet and guitar, Mike Calabrese, who exhibits an infectious energy from the drum kit, and Bridget Kearney, the beating heart of the band on the upright bass. All are classically trained jazz musicians.
They played more than half of their newest album, Side Pony, released in February, which the band has been working on since they signed on with Nonesuch Records in 2015.
Their concrete musical connection on stage shone through new songs like, “I Don’t Care About You” and “Call Off Your Dogs,” while the audience sang along with classics like “Go Down Smooth” and “Bad Self Portraits.”
In the encore that the wildly applauding crowd demanded, Lake Street Dive closed out the show with a cover of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” giving each member of the band a solo spotlight. Calabrese took it upon himself to ‘meow’ the biggest guitar solo, as Olson chuckled and shook his head.
The band sold out the remainder of their tour on the East Coast before they head off on the European leg of tour.
Yung Lean @ Union Transfer.
Text by Cameron Robinson. Images by Charles Shan Cerrone.
It was around 8 P.M. and a sense of anxiousness and anticipation was building in the crowd gathered for Yung Lean‘s first stop on his North American tour. As the crowd eagerly waited, 50 Cent was heard playing in the background. Curiously, 50 Cent was Yung Lean’s first inspiration and introduction into hip-hop.
Born Jonatan Aron Leandoer Håstad in Sweden, Yung Lean first broke onto the scene in 2013 with the release of his music video “Ginseng Strip 2002.” The video was a viral hit, reaching more than two million views on YouTube.
Yung Lean and his group, Sad Boys, including producers Yung Sherman and Yung Gud, are an eclectic mix known for the “sad boy” genre and their vaporwave aesthetic. Sad boys all around gravitated to Yung Lean, who brought recognition to the genre and a refreshing spin to the music. The video and subsequent mixtape led to him being listed in XXL‘s 2014 article “Top 15 European Rappers You should Know.” At the time he was 16. Fastforward three years and Yung Lean is now on his second North American tour, has sold out shows at Webster hall, and has garnered more than six million hits on Spotify, just for his top song alone.
A quick explanation of the genre: “sad boys” glorify the idea of being able to be sad and not hide it. Yung Lean is considered a “sad boy” because his lyrics, more often than not, convey a sad tone. As for vaporwave, it is an aesthetic and musical genre that is built around anything retro, mainly from the 80s, 90s and early 00s.
Other than his music, Yung Lean is also known for his style and love of the 90s. This love is a clear theme throughout his music, rapping on topics from Stars Wars to dial-up Internet. Interestingly, one staple Yung Lean has become known for is his affinity for bucket hats. On this, his fans did not disappoint, wearing bucket hats, they showed up in droves.
“I’ve had this bucket hat since before Yung Lean but I never really wore it,” said fan Austin Marshal. “But for this concert I had too! I really love his older stuff but I appreciate the artistic direction he took for this album. I have to say, he’s a trap guy.”
Yung Lean released his second studio album Warlord on Feburary 25th.
Before the arrival of Yung Lean, Adamn Killa amped up the crowd with an impressive, lively performance. After the set, 15 minutes passed by, and the crowd grew more and more hype. Finally, as fog filled the venue the lights dimmed and before the music started the crowd went wild!
Then, the opening notes of the song “Hoover” began to play, the bass dropped and the stage lights flashed on. Yung Lean began rapping, hands went in the air and people had an aura of exuberance that could only be produced by Yung Lean. Midway through the song, people began jumping off the stage, crowd surfing. The energy going through the venue was ecstatic.
Rapping with ferocity, Yung Lean and the rest of the Sad Boys, shrouded in fog, looked like silhouettes on the stage. This created a mystical sort of aesthetic. Adding to this were the tombstones and crosses that decorated the stage. Behind them was a projector screen that really came alive when they begin to perform the song “Yoshi City.” Images of hands grasping at fire followed by different images and symbols brought the performance to life.
It had been nearly an hour and the crowd has only become more excited. One fan, Marlon Gomez, stated, “I just really started listening to Yung Lean this week. I’m a production guy. I’m usually into EDM but he’s pretty good!”
At that moment the bass dropped and Gomez started to head bang with reckless abandon.
“The first time I heard this song [Yoshi City] my jaw dropped,” Gomez continued. “No rapper makes beats like this. The 808s are sick and that bass!”
The crowd was in a trance-like bliss to Yung Leans lyrics. It’s clear to see why Yung Lean resonates so well with his fans. Most interestingly, he brought together such a diverse crowd – Asian, Black, Hispanic, white, etc.
“I have a friend from Sweden,” said fan Alex Smigo. “Weed is legal there. He told me that when he would leave school. He’d smoke weed listening to Yung Lean, not giving a fuck!”
JUMP: The Philly Music Project 