The Neighbourhood – Electric Factory – Philadelphia, PA – October 6, 2015 – Photo ©2015 Isa Barnett
The Neighbourhood, The Bad Suns and HUNNY – Electric Factory – Philadelphia, PA – October 6, 2015
The Perfect Alternative Combo.
On October 6th, 2015, the Neighbourhood brought their #TheFlood2015 tour to town, performing at The Electric Factory in center city Philadelphia. Opening for NBHD were two bands — HUNNY and Bad Suns.
Fans wrapped around the building waiting all day to get a glimpse of the Neighbourhood, the band famous for their 2012 song “Sweater Weather,” which later became a hit on the top 40 when re-released in 2013.
Fronted by lead singer Jesse Rutherford, the LA-based multi-genre group of five also includes Zach Abels, Jeremy Freedmen, Brandon Fried and Michael Margott. Together since 2011, NBHD has been classified as a cool mix of grunge/alternative, indie rock, hip-hop and more.
The Neighbourhood – Electric Factory – Philadelphia, PA – October 6, 2015 – Photo ©2015 Isa Barnett
Early in the night, the crowd warmed up with the opening act HUNNY. The group had great energy and put on an impressive set. They were well received by the crowd as they performed a combination of their songs such as “Cry For Me,” “La Belle Femme” and set-closer “Parking Lot.”
HUNNY’s music had a more relaxed vibe, though, so fans didn’t really start moving until Bad Suns came on.
Bad Suns’ set included a few of their hit singles, like “Cardiac Arrest,” “Salt,” and “We Move Like The Ocean.” Their performance got the crowd jumping and excited and they sang along with the band.
Christo Bowman, the lead singer, even got so into his performance he leaned over into the audience letting his fans get a closer “look.” Afterwards, he thanked the audience for the amazing experience. Bad Suns put on a great, energetic performance. Some of their music was definitely influenced by 70’s and 80’s Alternative Rock.
The Neighbourhood – Electric Factory – Philadelphia, PA – October 6, 2015 – Photo ©2015 Isa Barnett
About thirty minutes later, the Neighbourhood hit the stage, with endless energy and an almost angelic approach. Lead singer Jesse Rutherford was dressed in a white long sleeve shirt, and the stage background stayed visually very similar to most of the band’s music videos. Simple black and white drawings, moved up and down, representing sound waves, made the crowd roar in excitement. Fans shoved to the front, to get closer to the band, as strobe lights moved to the beat of the music.
I was unsure of what to expect from the show, because I had never been to an entire Neighbourhood concert before. One thing I noticed right off is that while the stage was set very black and white, there was actually a bit of color slipping through the backlights, unlike pictures seen the last time we shot one of their sets, a few years back at Made In America Music Festival 2014.
The fan base in attendance that night was mostly young and very heavily female. Though excited, the crowd was not too rowdy, so it was easy to enjoy the music without having to deal with too many people pushing and shoving to squeeze into the front row.
The Neighbourhood – Electric Factory – Philadelphia, PA – October 6, 2015 – Photo ©2015 Isa Barnett
When the band finally performed their hit “Sweater Weather,” the crowd went wild singing and dancing. Recently the guys announced they’d be releasing their sophomore album Wiped Out! later this month. Their set included a preview of some of that new music.
At one point, the band left the stage and Rutherford was alone. The background displayed a flurry of short clips from Disney movies, Grand Theft Auto and other random-but-interesting pictures. Rutherford looked like he was having a ball while walking around the stage in a fur coat and no shirt underneath.
To close off the night, NBHD sung their current single “RIP 2 My Youth” and the crowd seemed happier then ever. This was an amazing concert. All the bands were full of vigor and seemed to have as much fun performing as their fans had attending.
Isa Barnett
Copyright ©2015 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: October 13, 2015.
Photos ©2015 Isa Barnett
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