Read previous – Alvvays @ Union Transfer
It’s been a long 4 years since Canadian indie/dream pop band Alvvays last played Philly. Their sophomore LP Antisocialites (released in 2017) is an indie pop masterpiece and has been on non-stop rotation ever since its release. Patience was rewarded when they released their long awaited third LP Blue Rev which has all of the jangly and reverb-soaked hooks you would expect, but it’s even more ambitious than prior outings and is a new paragon of the genre. Touring in support of Blue Rev, they made a stop at Franklin Music Hall in Philly on Saturday, November 12th with support from Slow Pulp.
The venue was already packed to the gills prior to Alvvays taking the stage, but that didn’t stop audience members from continuing to jockey for a spot at the front of the crowd as their set time approached. Singer Molly Rankin was illuminated with a single spotlight as they started off their set with Blue Rev lead track “Pharmacist”; however, as the stage lights and visuals kicked in, the band erupted in a shoegaze-y wall of sound. While they played through a majority of Blue Rev, they also threw in a good number of tracks from Antisocialites and their self-titled debut LP including “In Undertow”, “Adult Diversion”, and “Not My Baby”, as well their biggest tracks “Archie, Marry Me” and “Dreams Tonite”. Looking around the crowd, it was refreshing to see such a mixed audience – a testament to the broad appeal of Alvvays. As I made my way to the back of the venue for some breathing room, audience members were in full on dance mode during “Pomeranian Spinster”. Nearing the end of their set, Rankin appeared to forget the lyrics to “Party Police”; however, the audience obliged and sang along in her place. Rankin later admitted that it was the first time she had ever forgotten lyrics in their nearly 10 years of touring. With so many fantastic songs in their discography, I was left wanting a longer set that included more of my favorites like “Atop a Cake”, “Plimsoll Punks”, and “Lollipop (Ode To Jim)”. They finished out the night with a 2-song encore of “Next of Kin” and Blue Rev track “Lottery Noises”
Alvvays will be kicking off the next leg of their North American tour in December with dates mostly in Canada – see all of their upcoming tour dates here. Check out the music video for Blue Rev track “Belinda Says” below and keep scrolling to see more photos from the show.
