On October 17th, Philly Music Fest (PMF) hosted its own version of ‘Emo Night’ at Underground Arts. On the fifth night of the festival, PMF hosted Public Works, Dryjacket (not pictured), Golden Apples, and The Wonder Years. The venue was completely sold out, and by the time The Wonder Years took the stage, it showed. Public Works, from NJ, opened the night with intense lyrics as the lead singer was running off the stage to engage the crowd. Entertaining and mesmerizing, Public Works is a band to follow as they grow into themselves as artists. Golden Apples took the stage next and offered a more subdued Midwest Emo vibe. Their strong suit was in their instrumental ability- specifically, the lead guitarist and bass player were outstanding compared to the rest of the band. Unfortunately, I was unable to cover Dryjacket due to the massive crowd that The Wonder Years drew in.
As fans waited for the headliner, I asked them what they were looking forward to (knowing next to nothing about the band). There was a mural in Fishtown that had to do with the song ‘Oldest Daughter’, so I asked about that song. The fans scoffed at me, “I am sorry, but they won’t play that song’. Fans speculated what songs would or wouldn’t make the setlist for the homecoming show. The band took the stage, and the entire venue erupted with excitement.
The Wonder Years lead Dan Campbell took the crowd back to the Tumblr era of heavy eyeliner, black hair, and ripped skinny jeans. Campbell took no time in greeting the electric crowd with a stage dive, next to the sign that read ‘No Stage Diving Please’. The moshing, sweaty, and chaotic fans found themselves crowd surfing to get a closer look at the stage. The band fed off the crowd's energy and thrived while doing so. I never quite understood the draw to The Wonder Years, but after witnessing them live, it clicked. It was so hard not to get caught up in the fans' pure excitement and love for the band… I even heard the words I read on the Fishtown Mural, ‘Madelyn, I love you, but we both know how this ends.
The Wonder Years
Golden Apples
Public Works
