Concert Review/Photos: Haim @ The Tower Theater
Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015.
Mama Haim saw Bowie on this same stage, back in the day.
[ 5/14 ] Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard of the Haim sisters. The long-haired trio consisting of Este, Danielle and Alana has been dominating the music scene — playing just about every festival imaginable, receiving nearly every “best new act” recognition and playing sold-out venues, which is quite the feat considering they are only one album deep, with last year’s Days Are Gone. Wednesday night was their first headlining gig in Philly and another sell-out, at the sizeable Tower Theater.
The crowd was quite the eclectic mix — a mass amount of young girls trying to emulate the sisters’ style, families, a surprisingly large amount of older men and not unexpectedly, numerous fans wearing masks with the infamous “bass face.”
The sisters took the stage to cheers and screamed I LOVE YOUs, and dove into “Falling.” Haim’s short back catalog meant they could embellish each song with raucous guitar riffs and deep bass solos. Standouts included a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Oh Well” and singles “If I Could Change Your Mind” and “Forever.” Their energy was contagious, and it was rewarding watching the sisters seem to as much fun as the fans in the crowd.
Throughout the night, the sisters repeatedly made mention of their mother in the audience, who was Philly-raised — asking us to show her “just how fucking crazy you can get” (to which the crowd quickly obliged). They told a story of how their mother saw David Bowie play the Tower Theater, and that it was “fucking mind-blowing” that she was there now to see them. This led into Mama Haim’s favorite, “My Song 5.”
After a short break, Haim returned to the stage, with Danielle on drums, for their cover of Beyonce’s “XO.” After rousing the crowd with “The Wire,” they finished their set with an amazing drum solo that left every person in awe. As I left the venue, I saw a bunch of gleaming faces not wanting the night to end, and reminiscent of the sisters on stage. Everywhere you go you hear about the Haim sisters. And after seeing them live, I finally understand the hype.
Opening the show was husband-and-wife team Tennis. Their set was a fine intro for Haim, but more notably was singer Alaina Moore’s polite rant how Tower Theater’s backstage bathroom only had a urinal — which led into praise for Haim, who are setting new standards for women rockers.
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