When I left my house to go a couple of blocks over to The Fillmore, Brandon Marsh had just hit a 3-run home run in the first inning. It was an auspicious start to the evening. And while the Phillies did Phillies things and ended up losing, the show I was about to experience at least took the good vibes momentum late into the night… perhaps the bands stole the night’s good juju for all of us in attendance?

Oxis

Valentina Cy, better known by her stage name, Oxis, is a one-woman, electro-alt-pop act. Armed with a folding table of gear, a guitar, a bass, and a microphone, she creates looped soundscapes upon which she overlays her powerful pop vocals. Also, every song appears to be about fish. Needless to say, she was thrilled to be in Fishtown.

While the fish theme is quirky and playful (but also sincere), don’t let it distract from the talent on display. Billie Eilish and Sofia Isella instantly come to mind as two other young women whose footsteps Oxis appears to be following in. The delicate guitars and deep, heavy programmed beats create a unique soundscape by which Oxis is able to explore dynamic vocal melodies, from quiet whispers to operatic cries. While she’s armed with a full suite of sound-making gear, she deftly juxtaposes the electric instrumentation with a heartfelt, powerhouse vocal performance. The set was hypnotic and ethereal, evoking the aquatic theme she has adopted. We were also treated to an Oxis-flavored interpretation of MGMT’s “Kids.” All in all, it was an impressive display of what a singular creative force with a vision is capable of achieving and I look forward to seeing her career flourish.

Cannons

Standing beneath a faux-streetlight and crescent moon fixture with a dynamic lighting display surrounding the stage, Cannons delivered on their dreamy, California desert, night-feeling vibes. A perfect blend of longing 80s synth pop combined with modernized indie-surf-guitar, their entire vibe is like a throwback-themed dance party injected with an underlying sense of melancholy. “Dance the sadness away” type shit.

Lead vocalist Michelle Joy, guitarist Ryan Clapham, drummer Paul Davis, and touring bassist Jade Fink let the music do the talking. Joy, dressed in all white against the rest of the band’s all black and stoic positioning, bounced around the stage with a quiet confidence, crooning and often singing directly to individual audience members. It was mesmerizing and endearing in equal measure.

The gigantic LED display backlighting the band cycled through an endless pattern of vibrant colors, silhouetting them against the contrasting dimness of the rest of the venue. Midway through the set, guitarist Clapham stated, “you guys are a really good crowd,” with a sincere sense of grateful surprise. “The best one so far?” he quipped to Joy. And while pandering is a normal part of any act’s, well, act, the genuine shock in his voice seemed wholly sincere. So either Philly’s enthusiasm was indeed unparalleled or that man deserves his Oscar.

The packed venue’s gleeful enthusiasm for the performance was indeed entirely palpable. Clapping, singing, and dancing were in abundance and each song’s conclusion was met with raucous cheers and applause. It was kind of impossible not to see the night as a party and you’d have to be pretty joyless to not have had a good time.

Ending with the hit that put them on the map, “Fire For You,” they perfectly set the stage for the night’s finale.

Bob Moses

Fresh on the heels of their latest album, BLINK, Bob Moses delivered a tight, upbeat amalgamation of sounds emblematic of the vastly diverse soundscape that comprises their entire discography.

From the downtempo, trippy house-infused sounds of their first album All in All to the bright, sunny electro-pop of the aforementioned BLINK, duo Tom Howie and Jimmy Vallance have a firm mastery of their craft. It’s an infusion of sounds, with each release serving as a new era for the band. And yet the continued evolution occurs seamlessly from release to release, never straying too far from what makes Bob Moses distinctly themselves. From a songwriting perspective, they effectively weave such a wide array of influences within alternative rock, pop, electronic, and EDM into a sound that’s wholly unique to them. The best analogue I can think of is that it’s kind of like if James Blake, Massive Attack, and Trent Reznor collaborated as equals… and speaking of Reznor, my personal highlight of the evening was a stunningly faithful cover of “Closer” by Nine Inch Nails. Every single nuance of the production was delivered upon in ways that are usually overlooked when others attempt it. As a self-proclaimed NIN authority (my all-time favorite musical artist, so give me a smidge of credibility), I can definitively say it’s the best rendition I’ve ever heard outside of Reznor himself.

And it’s that attention to detail from a production and layering standpoint that’s precisely why Bob Moses is so damn good and a step above many of their contemporaries. They don’t minimize their sound to translate it to a live-band performance. In fact, they’re somehow able to elevate it into a more aggressive and energetic interpolation. I’ve been listening to them for more than a decade and somehow the live versions elevate the energy and fullness of the studio output. It gives fans a new appreciation for the nuances found within every single song they’ve ever released. Good shit.

Joined by touring members on bass and drums (that the internet appears to have zero information on), the band’s stage setup was impressive. From the grainy footage of life, the world, artistic and geometric abstractions, and occasionally lyrics behind them, the band was centered between two diagonally placed pieces of industrial scaffolding, complete with elongated lighting strips. The unsung hero touring members were each given an elevated platform while Howie and Vallance occupied center stage. The setup was as dynamic as their music and consistently synched up to the songs in ways that elevated the performance beyond just sounds. It was an entire sensory experience.

All in all (see what I did there?), The Afterglow Tour exceeded any expectations I may have had. It’s a perfect blend of unique artistry and good vibes. And while Philadelphia sports is a never-ending exercise in masochistic fandom, I’m always more than happy to find my solace in the artistry of incredible musicians.