I love small venues. Milkboy on Chestnut St. is pretty much my ideal setting for a local showcase. The vibes are right, the sparkling Liquid Death is flowing (don’t worry, plenty of booze for the rest of you), and the intimacy of the whole experience makes it feel like a hangout just as much as a rock show.
From the moment I walked in, and the manager gave me props for listening to Knocked Loose’s Laugh Tracks on my Apple Music as I scrolled through my apps to access my ticket (she said, “sorry for peeping”), I had a feeling that the night was just going to be good times. It was one of those microscopic moments in life where someone can make your day with the most benign, rudimentary, or basic observation, comment, or compliment. Maybe it sounds trite or overly sentimental, but I’m an emotional guy, what can I say? I just love connection. And the music scene here in Philly offers that in spades.
My brief stint living in Nashville (don’t ask) had almost eroded my sense of enjoyment for any “scene” due to the clout-chasing, superficial nature of a baffling amount of those involved, but, since moving back to my roots here in Philly (I’m Delco born and raised, so give me a little credit) after a decade and a half as a nomad, time and time again Philly has proven to have the most authentic, community-centered music scene I’ve ever been a part of. As a former Seattle (an actually great city) resident and lifelong grunge history nerd, it’s highly reminiscent of the DIY 90s alternative culture, but with less outward jaded cynicism and more inclusivity and enthusiasm.
Anyway, onto the show:
Caring Less
You all should care more about this outfit (sorry, I had to). I hadn’t listened to them prior to this and I’m honestly a little disappointed in myself that I’m just now hearing about them. I was genuinely blown away by their entire set. Reminiscent of some of the best 90s alternative, but still very firmly their own sound, Caring Less showcased immense skill and versatility. Frontperson Sara Johnson on guitar and vocal duties draws from a well of influences ranging from Veruca Salt and Speedy Ortiz to Jeff Buckley and Courtney Barnett. Midway through their set, they paid tribute to another clear influence, local legends Mannequin Pussy, with an absolutely perfect cover of “Loud Bark.”
From beginning to end, they had me captivated. With a propensity for catchy vocals and some very innovative guitar sounds that both stand out, yet seamlessly complement the hooks, they effortlessly combine the spirit of alternative’s sonic adventurousness with memorable melodies. It’s that sweet spot between familiarity and boldness. I predict a very bright future for this band and would not be surprised if their debut launches them into the next tier of localized stardom. One day I’ll get to say, “I saw them at Milkboy.” Can’t wait to catch their next set.
Adventure Lost
These guys have a very positive reputation within the local scene and for very good reason. Frontman Jack Faracchio is one of the most pleasantly unique frontpeople I think I’ve ever witnessed. Aside from his very clear vocal and guitar talent, both of which are unquestionably top-notch, he has a propensity for taking the audience on a, well, adventure through a maze of stream-of-conscious observations; the recitation of bites of Bob Dylan lyrics, thoughts on the world and society, words of encouragement, quippy jokes, and calls for unity and social justice. And he weaves all of this effortlessly between songs, not heading into Eddie Vedder territory by stalling the set, but instead letting it all serve as a segue between indie-alt-pop jams.
As far as their sound, they rock in a very upbeat way. Poppy vocal hooks are met with instrumentals that showcase their ability to jam and rock out with the best of them. The influence from the likes of Green Day and The Clash to Phish and The Band are palpable and it’s all formulated into a musical odyssey reminiscent of the complexities of Queens of the Stone Age’s most jammy epics.
Speaking of Green Day, their penultimate performance of the night, in line with their earlier sentiments against ICE and the current administration (see below), was a cover of “Holiday.” It was delivered in the most authentically pop-punk, crowd-stomping, “fuck-the-man” manner one could hope for. It was awesome, and, dare I say a step above the muzzled Super Bowl performance the song’s actual writers gave a couple Sundays back (Note: I still love Green Day, I’m just still a little salty they didn’t say anything or stir up any shit on the biggest platform they’ve ever been given).
Anyway, backtracking to the midpoint of their set, guitarist and birthday boy Ace took lead vocal duties for the night’s second wildly, absolutely perfect cover (no, seriously they got every single nuance down - major props to Karena on keys) with Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.” Another excellent cover for the evening, with the grand finale still to come.
All in all, their set was exactly what anyone familiar with the band would expect: a great time with great musicians who write catchy songs. The fact that they’re able to organically integrate strong messaging on the woes of social injustice with a very positive, friendly, wholesome musical showcase is a testament to their strong and captivating identity. Ultimately, messaging-wise, what they give to us is the most important ingredient for forward momentum in all of life: hope. And for that fact alone, I will always be grateful we have artists like them.
Humilitarian
First, I have to acknowledge and give props to both Caring Less drummer Charlie for pulling double-duty and also serving as Humilitarian’s guitarist, and Adventure Lost bassist Tucker Pendleton, who is also the bassist of Humilitarian. No small feat, yet very emblematic of the strength of community the Philly music scene carries. The musical chair of band members across bands/artists isn’t so much a lack of stability as it is creative actualization and mutual support:
And before you know it, the overlap of artists and band members becomes widespread as you start seeing members of one band performing with another elsewhere (or, more often than not, on the same bill). And this is perhaps the most overt display of the tight-knit nature of Philly’s indie/alt/rock/punk scene and its supportiveness and inclusivity. Community. We love to see it.
So, Humilitarian fucking rocks. Maybe you already knew that, but I just learned a day before the show. Kira Cappello walked on stage after spending the first portion of the night absolutely rocking out in the crowd to her peers as a fan. And brief microphone issues aside, the band’s set started strong and grew in intensity with each successive song, culminating in the night’s final, super badass cover.
Humilitarian evokes a wide array of genre-defying influences. From hypnotic shoegaze elements, to the discordant-while-simultaneously-catchy guitar sounds provided by band member Brendan Clarke (to me, reminiscent of Dean Deleo’s deep cuts), among other very inventive guitar techniques, to Cappello’s immense vocal range and passionate delivery, the band serves to be somewhat of a chameleon. There is an intensity in the music that very deftly maneuvers between the heavy emotional components of the songwriting and the highly enjoyable sonic delivery method.
The night ended in spectacular fashion with the aforementioned final cover song of the evening. Jack from Adventure Lost and Sara from Caring Less joined the members of Humilitarian on stage one last time to deliver a truly iconic rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain.” Not much to be said here other than the fact that their shared vocal duties and the ferocious energy of the band combined to make it one of the most memorable renditions of the song I think I’ve probably ever heard. It was loud, it was bold, it was faithful, but it all coalesced into this cathartic moment of pure musical excellence. After some of the heavier topics addressed throughout the show, it was perhaps the only way to end it.
There is so much positive momentum in this city’s music scene and within its artist-centric community. Don’t sleep on it. From fostering connection to simply rocking out with passion and sincerity, I cannot overstate how excited I am to see these artists excel, evolve, and achieve new heights of success. And that’s not even mentioning the consistency in their advocacy. It’s one big party and the theme is lifting each other up in the community.
Lastly, there were some ways to get involved with some very important local causes showcased during Adventure Lost’s set as outlined by Pendleton. These are some organizations and individuals to follow and support as named during the set:
No ICE Philly - https://linktr.ee/noicephilly
Juntos - https://www.vamosjuntos.org/
Ice Out t-shirts for Juntos benefit: @elise.mattaliano
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