Read previous – Modest Mouse + The Districts @ The Met
Photos and words by Taylor Shields
The Districts closed out their 2022 Great American Painting tour on Saturday night back home in Philly, playing Union Transfer to an always enthusiastic crowd. The band released their fifth studio album in March, returning after 2020’s You Know I’m Not Going Anywhere with a more polished, synth-heavy sound. Also new for the band was a change in their lineup. Just prior to the release of Great American Painting, The Districts parted ways with their longtime bassist and one of the original band members, Conor Jacobus. As a result, drummer Braden Lawrence shifted his talents to bass and keys, while Alex Held was brought on board to fill Lawrence’s seat.
Even while touring a new album, the band managed to craft a setlist spanning their entire discography, to the delight of their longtime fans who have been following them around the Philly music scene for the past decade. Frontperson Rob Grote performs with a passion that’s rare to find in the characteristically shoegaze-y genre that is indie-rock. The Districts are not a band that phones it in. They show up to give it their all, and the crowd gives it right back.
The band brought out openers Francis of Delirium to perform “Ordinary Day”, off The Districts’ 2017 release Popular Manipulations, followed by a performance of WXPN radio favorite, “Cheap Regrets” with additional tour support Vanillaroma.
The Districts will be playing an upcoming show at the Anchor Rock Club in Atlantic City on 5/28 – tix for that show are available here. Check out the video for “I Want To Feel It All” (the lead single from Great American Painting) below and keep scrolling to see more photos from the show.
