Uber driver was blasting the salsa clasica mix when he picked me up on Walnut, and the vibes were immaculate.
We sped up to Fishtown to catch the openers cause you’re gonna miss out if you ditch the openers.
The theme of the night was 100p monochromatic cause everyone was drenched in black; however, there were a few dissenters dressed in their finest denim. I rocked the Modern Color shirt cause we’re all in on the vibe.
Johnny Brenda’s is an instant 9/10 on the Sicilian Scale, with the downstairs bar slinging beers and blaring garage punk music for all patrons to enjoy. We have a well-loved pool table in full use, while everyone else soaks in the pre-show ambiance. Clutch cause they have the Fightins on, so we’ve got that going for us.
I headed upstairs, and the venue was on the same level as the PhilaMOCA in terms of being small, intimate, and primed for music. I love tiny venues with clear, unobstructed views of the stage. It tends to draw a fun and likeminded crowd as well, unlike some of the larger venues. Plus, I know this show is gonna be LOUD, but don’t worry mom I brought my ear protection. Grabbed a beer and settled in chatting with some other monochromatic companions eagerly awaiting the customary dimming of lights.
Bleed
Opening the show was Bleed out of Dallas, and damn, they were heavy. Big wall of sound-type riffage with heavy harmonic air cover. Ryan Hughes was a presence in front of the mic with his gravely Mark Lanegan-esque vox. Silver, off their album Somebody’s Closer, hit like a ton of bricks with this heavy, hypnotic riff of repetitious string bends. I, along with the crowd, was certainly not prepared for the head-banging to commence so early. Impossible not to warm the neck up to accompany their thunderous breakdowns. A+ set, and it was great to chat with them after the show and score a sweet magenta/violet splatter vinyl.
Temple of Angels
Temple of Angels, hailing from the Austin music scene, was a refreshing dream pop act that layered Bre Morell’s angelic vocals over single-note riffs drenched in heavy modulation. Seriously, I would have loved to look at their pedal boards to see what they were repping, looked like mostly Boss gear. I saw that Roland Jazz Chorus 120 behind the lead guitarist and knew we were in for a post-punk treat. However, the bassist and Bre’s vocals stole the show. We had running bass lines holding down the rhythm section while Bre demonstrated her range across their set.
Narrow Head
Finally, the pièce de résistance, Narrow Head.
The Houston-based group led by Jake Duarte, who was rocking a legendary Joe Walsh t-shirt, came in over the top the heaviest of heavy. Immediate, synchronized head-banging commenced and did not cease until the final song, upon which we coaxed the band for an encore. With half-stacks cranked to 11, they blew the roof of Brenda’s, and I couldn’t be more excited. I’ve been following this group for a bit now, and I jumped at the chance to catch them live; they did not disappoint. Props to Jake, who you can tell puts his all into the music and the show; I got to chat with him after the show and wish them well on the rest of the tour.
Honestly, of all the things to love about these guys, I dig their tuning down to C#, which creates a heavy alt-rock / metal sound, but without all the mud and drone of typical lower-tuned acts in the Doom genre. Jake’s vocals and chaotic solo’s cut through the mix, especially on tracks like Feels Like Sand, Ashtray, and Hard to Swallow. Not for the faint of heart, I don’t know if this music feeds the inner self-loathing or the energetic F-you to whatever is going on in your life, but what I do know is that they put down a hell of a set that exceeded all my expectations. Happy to grab a copy of Satisfaction on vinyl to round out the night and head home.
Interestingly, my uber driver on the way home had put on the new T Swift album, so we took that in as we battled Phillie’s traffic through Center City. This was an electric evening in Fishtown, and I’ll catch another show or grab a beer at Johnny Brenda’s in the future.
7ftSicilians 
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