Independent Philly loved the third night sunset set by Phoenix at Coachella Festival back in April. When we heard they were coming to Philly to play the Tower Theater, we knew we’d have to have our own Bridgette Bonner give us her review.
8:00pm on October 23rd arrived and I expected everyone in Philadelphia to be so pre-occupied with the Phillies that concerts and other events were a second thought. This was not the case at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby as The Wavves, Jenny and Johnny, and Phoenix took the stage to a very welcoming and excited crowd.
“Wavves” got the night and the party started by pumping the crowd up with their energetic, California sounds from their album “King of the Beach” (www.wavves.net). This set the pace for “Jenny and Johnny”, also natives of California.
The California crew received an outstanding welcome from Philly fans, especially for Jenny and Johnny (www.jennyandjohnnymusic.com) whose sensual acoustic sound and upbeat performance had people fighting for a closer look in the front row. With such an excited and warm reception from Philly fans, I hope to see Jenny and Johnny back in the City of Independence sometime soon with a head-lining gig.
With the crowd already on their feet after stellar performances, Phoenix took the stage and started the show off with one of their hits, “Lisztomania” as hordes of people rushed towards the front of the venue. Phoenix fed off their energy and was very interactive with the crowd. Not only did lead singer Thomas Mars make a shout out to the Phillies, but joined the people of Philadelphia in their seats along with the rest of Phoenix to serenade fans with a song in their native language, French. Even though the language was foreign, the intimate interaction formed a bond between Phoenix and their fans.
Phoenix closed with another hit and probably the most anticipated song of the night, 1901. As Tower Theater sang along to every word, you could tell that Phoenix was just as excited to see the people of Philadelphia, as the fans were to see them.
Phoenix will next visit the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach, SC October 25th before heading to the House of Blues in Orlando, FL October 26th.
SET LIST:
Lisztomania
Lasso
Long Distance Call
Fences
Girlfriend
Armistice
North
Love Like a Sunset, Pt. 1
Love Like a Sunset, Pt. 2
(Unknown)
Rally
Rome
(Unknown)
Encore:
Countdown
(Unknown)
(Unknown)
1901
{Story and photos by Bridgette Bonner}
