Concert review/photos: The Sounds @ Union Transfer
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.
It was like a 1980s rock party until the lights went up a little after midnight.
[ 4/8 ] Union Transfer played host to a trio of acts spanning the globe on Tuesday, providing relief from the early-week blues. First up was Australia’s pop-with-a-hint-of-rock Strange Talk. Fronted by a Justin Timberlake-esque Stephen Docker on vocals and keys, they delivered a dose of catchy choruses and danceable beats. “Falling in Love” and “Young Hearts,” from their forthcoming album Cast Away, both have hit potential.
The Los Angeles-based Blondfire took the stage next with their bubblegum guitars. Led by the brother-and-sister team of Bruce and Erica Driscoll, they punched the air with hooks and syrupy fun. Touring behind their 2014 record Young Heart, Blondfire’s charismatic presence set the stage for the headliner.
Swedish band The Sounds sure know how to make an entrance. Before they started playing, at nearly 10:20 p.m., a DJ kept the crowd occupied with some bizarre beats, including a dance remix of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Anticipation was building. And when the Maja Ivarsson and co. finally came out, it was like a 1980s rock party until the lights went up a little after midnight. Ivarsson sported a black leather jacket and smoked half a dozen cigarettes on stage as she threw punches into the air and engaged with the audience as much as possible during a 20 song set that spanned their career through their latest release, Weekend. From “Living in America” to “Rock ’N Roll” and “Shake Shake Shake” and “Emperor” from the new album, the room was loving every second. In the end, the continent-hopping night of music once again proved pop and rock are as symbiotic as ever.
More reviews and photos by Chris Sikich:
- The Stray Birds @ World Cafe Live
- Okkervil River/Typhoon @ Union Transfer
- Tinariwen @ Prince Music Theater
- Suzanne Vega @ Two Rivers Theater
- Drive-By Truckers @ World Cafe Live/The Queen
- Arcade Fire @ Wells Fargo Center
- Throwing Muses @ Bowery Ballroom (NYC)
- Paul Simon and Sting @ Wells Fargo Center
- Ex Hex @ the Ottobar (Baltimore)
