Read previous – The Districts at Union Transfer
Photos and words by Taylor Shields
Resident Philly rockers, The Districts, played their final show of the year at the city’s new independent live music venue, Concourse Live (aka Concourse Dance Bar) at 16th and Market. Launched by FCM Hospitality owner Avram Hornik with the help of former The Districts manager Marley McNamara, the 650-person venue is part of a new wave of performance spaces popping up across the city over the past year. The opening of these new venues has been revitalizing for the Philly independent music scene after major hardships and setbacks felt throughout the industry over the past few years due to the pandemic.
Opening for The Districts were Philly natives Florry, a 7-piece band whose sound ranges from indie rock to country folk, complete with a pedal steel guitar. Due to another event scheduled later that night, The Districts let the crowd know early on that they had to finish their set by 10pm, but promised to rock every minute ’til. And they did. As someone who has seen The Districts perform in various cities throughout the years, I can testify that there is nothing quite like a hometown show.
While the band technically hails from Lititz, PA, they’ve claimed Philly as their home for the past ten-ish years, and the city has claimed them right back. The pride is palpable in the way the crowd passionately belts out every word of every song. The setlist could be any random assortment of tracks from their decade-spanning catalog, and every song would be the crowd’s favorite. From 2012’s Telephone to 2022’s Great American Painting, the band’s sound has evolved from bluesy rock to a more recent dabble in electro-rock, while never losing the crucial elements that make The Districts one of the greatest bands to come out of Philly: deeply honest and introspective lyrics, musical chemistry born of their childhood beginnings as a band, and an unmatched passionate live performance.
Former bassist and one of The Districts’ founding members, Connor Jacobus, parted ways with the band last year, but made a surprise appearance on Friday night, joining for a few songs mid-set. The Districts’ current lineup consists of founding members Rob Grote and Braeden Lawrence, guitarist Pat Cassidy, and touring drummer Alex Held. Great American Painting is out now on Fat Possum Records. Check out the music video for Great American Painting track “Outlaw Love” below and keep scrolling to see more photos from the show.
