Concert review/photos: Literature/Spook School/No Other/Heathers @ PhilaMOCA
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.
A night of indie merrymaking.
[ 6/5 ] Last night PhilaMOCA welcomed the city’s resident west coast wannabes, Literature. Catchy pop with a hint of sunshine, Literature’s style stands out in Philly. Together with three other acts, it was a night of indie merrymaking.
Starting off was the Glasgow indie pop group Spook School, complete with Scottish accents and peppy UK pop pace. They were sloppy and slightly out of tune, but so young looking and honest that it kind of worked. More than one of the songs were about breaking down gender binaries and finding an identity in this mixed-up world, and that message sure does translate across continents. Next up, grungy classic rockers No Other, in between bouts of yelling at their boyfriends to quit heckling, pulled off a hypnotic, low-key set. They played power punk passionately, and singer/guitarist Maria T stomped between at least seven or eight pedals for her guitar and mic.
Heathers took the stage third and played a long, hearty set. This broody ’80s-ish three-piece came all the way from LA with tour buddies Spook School and sounded put-together and polished. About halfway through the set they played a Smiths cover, which I loved, but frontman Michael Francis had the gall to say “fuck the Cure” right before he played it. Who would do that??? I couldn’t stop thinking about it for the rest of the night. Fuck… the Cure? The fucking Cure. And here I thought we lived in a world where Smiths fans and Cure fans could live in harmony.
After a long night of jamming out and wildly dancing right in front of the stage to the other three bands, Philly’s lovable Literature finally set up. Honestly, the energy in the room was a little sad so late in the night and after Heathers’ actually sad music, nothing could have been more welcome than the ridiculously upbeat, bouncy guitar riffs of Literature’s set. With a charming soundcheck filled with smiles and on the spot inside jokes, the crowd pepped up and stayed that way. Every week or so since the beginning of May, Literature has been posting cryptic messages about “big news coming soon” and I can only hope that this means a new album so that everyone can take home a slice of that jangle rock.
