Well, damn.
Sometimes, when I’m recapping shows, I get a slight fear of coming across as hyperbolic. It happens during times when my consecutive concert attendance seems like a constant parade of mind-blowing energy and excellence. But I think the simple truth, or truths, are that: 1. Philadelphia is, simply put, a top-tier live show city. Having lived in or near major cities across the country over the last decade and a half, including “Music City” Nashville, I have to rank Philly as the undisputed champion in quality, variety, and consistency. And 2. I think I just really fucking love the music I love.
So, do you all share my level of excitement at these shows?
Well, if last night is any indication (rhetorical), the answer is an unequivocal yes, and then some. The passion is alive at Philadelphia rock shows in ways I don’t think I’ve experienced anywhere else (except maybe Rage Against the Machine in New York almost 20 years ago).
(Also, I have to mention the theme of the night: pickles.)
So anyway, about Friday night:
FEBUARY
No, that’s not a typo.
This band came out early to a still-gathering crowd and immediately delivered. Fronted by Rila Ogawa on vocals and guitar, Airon Gauuf on lead guitar and vocals, Italy Jones on bass, and Abby Walker on drums, their interplay was dynamic, tight, and loud. Described as “screamo” by both themselves and press outlets, I have to say it’s important to add an “and.” The band’s compositions range from jammy, ethereal post-punk to thrashing riffs to almost Mogwai-like explorations painting beautiful soundscapes. Plus a lot of screaming. I’d put them slightly closer to Deafheaven or Between the Buried and Me than Alexisonfire or Thursday in terms of structure and composition. But that’s beside the point. The point is that however you choose to classify them, they are simply awesome. The fierce passion in their performance is hypnotizing and acts as a juxtaposition to their between-song stage presence, which is pretty chilled out and subdued. Expressing sincere gratitude to all the early birds of the night and requesting coffee shop recommendations, the band instantly endeared themselves to all in attendance. With their closing track, lead singer Rila Ogawa expressed a much-applauded “Fuck Cornell” and explained how important her lyricism is in expressing the injustices women experience daily. But I’ll let their music do the talking because this is a band you should seek out and support anyway.
BIG BOY
As the crowd continued to filter in, the moshing that began with Febuary only continued to expand with Big Boy. One of the more straightforward, no bullshit hardcore acts I’ve seen recently, they’re a band that would’ve fit right in with Turnstile, Mannequin Pussy, and Speed at last year’s show. But they also fit snugly into the night’s brigade of alt-rock rowdiness. Aside from the well-known colloquialism of greeting the crowd with “go birds,” lead singer Brandon Flores walked the stage delivering the goods, with their set’s highlight being a moment in which he stepped into the crowd and gave the mic to a fan for the chorus of “Spades,” upon which that fan absolutely fucking delivered. It was awesome. Guitarist Adrian Valencia is a riff-master, taking his cues from the all-time greats ranging from early Metallica to Suicidal Tendencies to, honestly, take your pick. Just big, heavy riffs, alternating between fast and steady before diving into some massive breakdown. And it all flowed seamlessly with the doomy, sludgey bass riffs courtesy of Josef Allfonso and the Hulk-smashing power of drummer Keone Carillo. In short, they were awesome.
MOMMA
Earlier this year, I saw Momma open for Courtney Barnett, and they were excellent then. But Friday night, with their triumphant return to the same stage that first introduced me to them, they seemed to be on a whole other level. First and foremost: whoever did the sound for the whole night across all four artists needs a promotion or a raise. Everything was clear, balanced, and loud. And hearing Momma this time around with a much clearer sound elevated the shit out of the performance, especially compared to last time, when they felt muted. And while the band can absolutely rock out with big riffs and heavy rhythm, they’re overall more midtempo in their song composition, especially compared to the first two acts of the night. Momma injects a lot of shoegazey elements into their songs, marrying the grunge, 90s-alt-rock sound with melancholy pop elements. And yet, the crowd’s level of energy and hype seamlessly translated into moshing, jumping, and crowdsurfing in tandem with the infectious catchiness of their music.
Co-fronted by guitarists and vocalists Allegra Weingarten and Etta Friedman, and backed by bassist Aron Kobayashi Ritch and drummer Preston Fulks, Momma create an atmosphere and sound that’s loud and energetic, but balanced and decidedly non-chaotic. From the guitar-heroism leads to the wall-of-sound riffs, Momma are able to deftly maneuver away from being pigeonholed into any single type of rock and roll. And when they jumped into my personal favorite track, “I Want You (Fever),” it seemed the entire venue shared my sentiment because the already-wired crowd took things a step further and lost their shit (in the good way).
All in all, Momma’s set felt like a celebration. What were we all celebrating? I don’t know, but I’m not really one for questioning a mass hysteria in the name of good times.
SETLIST:
Last Kiss
Medicine
Tall Home
I Want You (Fever)
Motorbike
Ohio All the Time
Rodeo
Speeding 72
BASEMENT
When this show was first announced, I flipped months ahead and put it on my physical wall calendar in bold ink, underlined. Why? Because I sincerely believe that Colourmeinkindness, the band’s sophomore album, ranks among the greatest alternative rock albums ever created and I needed to experience it live. I will die defending the mythical greatness of this album, but I’m not really sure who’s even going to argue against it. From some of the biggest and most creative big-riff guitar compositions, to the angst-ridden lyricism, to stellar production, the album just hits on every tiny nuance my subconscious craves from alternative rock and roll, which is kind of the entire foundation of my musical identity. Back in the day, some music publication ran a segment called “Songs You Wish You Wrote,” in which artists expressed exactly that sentiment, citing some of their biggest songwriting influences and favorites. For me, the “song I wish I wrote” is the entire album, Colourmeinkindness.
OK, now that I’ve gotten my shameless glazing out of the way, onto the rest:
Basement really fucking rocks, and I’m so happy they’re back after a pretty significant break. Touring in support of new album, WIRED, which serves as a “return to form” expansion of their now five-LP catalog, they emerged on stage to flashing lights, backdropped by the hypno-cat that adorns the new record’s cover, started dialed up to the max, and never really let their foot off the gas.
Formed in 2009, the Suffolk, England-based band consists of brothers Andrew Fisher on lead vocals and James Fisher on drums, lead guitarist Ronan Crix, rhythm guitarist Alex Henery, and bassist Duncan Stewart. Right around the time “Covet” blew up on the internet, introducing the band to an entire generation of younger fans (who were all accounted for at the show last night, screaming their hearts out to the track), the stars aligned and the band’s hiatus came to an end with both a ten-year celebration of their seminal sophomore record in 2022 and the beginnings of crafting a new album after some touring with Turnstile.
And now, in 2026, the fruits of their labors are fully realized with this tour. I’ve been to so many shows in my life, and an even higher-concentrated dosage in the last year, and I can unequivocally say that this show easily ranks among the most high-energy, crowd-bought-in performances I’ve seen in all my not-insignificant years on this planet (36. I’m 36.). Running through an expansive set that leaned heavily on both the aforementioned new record and their sophomore record, the band delivered fully, giving the people what they want while showcasing their ability to just absolutely crush it.
I don’t know if we’re in some alt-rock renaissance or what, but the last several months of shows and the crowds that have populated them have been among some of the best I’ve witnessed in my entire life. And they’re trending younger, bringing together a fandom whose ages range from teens to Gen Xers, all coming together, unified by the power of rock and roll. Amen. The kids are alright.
Friday night was not just a prime example of it; it may have been one of the most emblematic in recent memory. With such a diverse roster of artists throughout the night, the crowd was there from moment one, and the energy peaked early on, sustaining that level throughout the entirety of the band’s considerable headlining set.
Opening with WIRED album-opener “Time Waster,” the band, well–wasted no time melting faces and keeping the momentum alive. And then, once they arrived at the back-to-back delivery of “Covet” and “Spoiled” the energy was so palpable I felt the mezzanine quaking. If I were to die, it would’ve perhaps been the best way for me to go out. There was no fancy pageantry or stage antics, just the purity of a legendary act at the top of their game delivering the goods in spades.
The simple truth is that there isn’t much to say beyond the fact that the show was truly incredible, memorable, and one I hope keeps the band's creative and artistic drive alive and well. When you picture a rock show in your mind’s eye, this is exactly the type of experience you hope for to a T.
And I’m just grateful to be able to bear witness. So a sincere thank you to these artists and to this city’s concertgoing population. Every single one of you rocks so hard.
Now, let’s go eat some fucking pickles.
SETLIST:
Time Waster
Deadweight
The Way I Feel
Covet
Spoiled
Bad Apple
Brother's Keeper
WIRED
Are You the One
Embrace
Aquasun
Whole
Sever
Head Alight
Broken by Design
Crickets Throw Their Voice
Pine
Promise Everything
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