w/ Shyeye, Rain City Drive, Sleeping With Sirens
Shy Eye opened the night and made a friendly first impression right away. The Nashville group walked out with swagger and smiles, and while their music leans melancholy, the band on stage was all waves and grins. They played tight and cohesive, and the set was easy to settle into. Fans of Julia Wolf, or of her recent collaboration with Kellin Quinn, should keep an eye on them. They look like a band that could be a name to know within a couple of years.
Rain City Drive came out second and the energy jumped. The Floridians hit the stage with confidence and a heavy low end, and the first crowd surfer went up right at the start of their set. More followed, with moshing breaking out alongside them. They also knew exactly where they were. Philly is a sports town, and a single "Go Birds" shout from the stage sent the room into a frenzy, the loudest moment of their set.
Then Sleeping With Sirens took the stage, and the Fillmore floor was theirs. Fans came ready, with homemade signs scattered through the crowd, including one celebrating a couple's eight-year anniversary. The band opened with "Kick Me" and had the whole floor moving within moments.
The set made room for songs from An Ending In Itself, the band's eighth album, out June 12 on Rise Records, including the title track, "Forever/Always," and "House of Matches." Most of the night, though, belonged to the fan favorites, like "The Bomb Dot Com V2.0," "A Trophy Father's Trophy Son," and "Better Off Dead." Between songs, Kellin Quinn thanked the crowd for taking care of one another and gave a shout-out to Philadelphia native Will Yip, who helped produce the new record.
The closing run was a nostalgia trip. "If I'm James Dean, You're Audrey Hepburn" and "If You Can't Hang" ended the night, and during the second one the whole floor, and even the balcony, was shaking. It was thrilling and a little terrifying.
Photography by Wes Shepherd
