Originally Written for wmscradio.com
Photography & Review by Ash Schnoor
Hoboken-based indie band Phoneboy lit up the velvet curtain of The Foundry at the Fillmore in Philadelphia for a night of light and airy summer anthems and explosive energy on June 5th. The show was the third to last stop of their Heartbreak Designer tour, which celebrated the release of their album by the same title less than a week before the tour kicked off. This album has seen the band growing a community of fans worldwide, and Philly was no exception of that.
After having their openers for the tour Double Standard (read our article about them here) and Inoha (@inoha_band) play, Phoneboy kicked off with “Wayside,” a song that was built to open the tour, which set the tone for the night with an amazing high-energy sound. The first chorus hitting was electrifying, with everyone immediately jumping and yelling along. That energy carried straight through to “Ferrari” and “Better Than You”, which are coincidentally my favorite songs by the band. You could tell just how excited everyone was to be there, as well as the band themselves. Their playful back and forth made the show even more exciting and fun to watch.
Throughout the night, Phoneboy took the audience throughout their entire discography with songs like “Hung Up” and “1987,” turning their nostalgic and indie sound into an electric live performance that captured the feeling of a warm summer night perfectly. One of the standout moments of the show was during “Open Up” during the bridge, when the lighting got dark and the band made the entire crowd get down on their knees and pop up when the final chorus started. You could really tell how much Phoneboy really enjoyed performing, and that energy transferred to the crowd with ease.
Now we move towards middle of the set, where Phoneboy gets a little bit more mellow with songs like “Moving Out,” “OMG,” and “Roses;” where the band threw out roses to the audience during the guitar solo. Continuing the mellow vibes, we have the two saddest songs of the set: “Red Wine” and “Heartbreak Designer.” The energy in the room was palpable in such an amazing way. You could tell that every soul in that room connected at that moment just based off of those two songs alone. And without a beat, Phoneboy immediately picked it up with their summery instrumentals “Something On My Mind” and “Sweater Song.” To finish off the show, the band closed with “Running Out of Time,” which fits the vibe of ending something amazing perfectly.
But to no surprise, the night wasn’t over yet! After a short break and the increasing chants of “Phoneboy! Phoneboy!,” the band ran back out to “Hey, Kid!,” which you could tell was definitely a fan favorite. They followed with “Runaway” and “I Look Alive,” both energetic and powerful songs. And last but not least, Phoneboy performed a cover of “My Own Worst Enemy” by Lit, which was a perfect nostalgic singalong moment.
Overall, Phoneboy delivered an unforgettable, energetic performance. Their storytelling abilities combined with their infectious musical talent kept the crowd’s energy up all night. Every song felt like a shared memory with the people around you … loud, full of love, and a little sweaty. Phoneboy was truly such a special band to see live, and if you get the chance to see them on their European tour supporting The Happy Fits, their Mini Headline tour on the east coast, or their run supporting The Wrecks this winter — make the jump and do it.
You can find Phoneboy on all platforms, or on Instagram @phoneboymusic.
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Setlist:
- Wayside
- Ferrari
- Better Than You
- Hung Up
- 1987
- Open Up
- Moving Out
- OMG
- Roses
- Red Wine
- Heartbreak Designer
- Something On My Mind
- Sweater Song
- Talking to Heads
- Nevermind
- Running Out of Time
Encore:
- Hey, Kid!
- Runaway
- I Look Alive
- My Own Worst Enemy (Lit cover)
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