top of page

AFI Rocks the House at The Fillmore Philadelphia

California-based rock icons AFI have never stuck to a particular sound throughout their three decade-long career, always experimenting with each release. On October 3, the band released their twelfth studio album Silver Bleeds the Black Sun…, which fully delves into goth rock and dark wave. In late September, AFI hit the road to celebrate the album’s release, making stops at major cities across North America. On October 14th, AFI stopped at The Fillmore in Philadelphia, PA, performing hits, new tracks, and deep cuts alike with an exciting 17-song setlist. As the band brought their explosive energy to the show, the near sold-out crowd made sure to follow and have the time of their lives. 



Starting the night off was Canadian artist TR/ST, a solo project led by vocalist Robert Alfons. The band opened with an instrumental intro, with Alfons on keyboards and touring drummer Lia Braswell delivering an exciting solo, which ramped up the energy of the crowd. With an electronic goth-pop sound, it was easy to see that TR/ST was a fitting opener for this tour. Coupled with moody black and white lighting, TR/ST immediately set a dark vibe that matches the new AFI album. The audience instantly became engaged in the set, jumping and dancing along to the sounds of the synths while Alfons delivered magnetic vocals fitting for goth rock. Even if it was their first time ever hearing of TR/ST, many people surely became new fans that night. 



TR/ST: Website | Instagram | YouTube


At around 9:15, the lights began to dim as the crowd cheered, knowing that AFI would soon hit the stage. Soon enough, the band walked on stage and began to perform “Strength Through Wounding”, the exhilarating introductory track on their 1999 album Black Sails in the Sunset, which immediately hyped up the fans. The room was filled with the chants from the crowd, screaming along to the lyrics. Vocalist Davey Havok made quite the entrance as he hopped on stage and raised his mic stand in the air, and continued to showcase unwavering energy throughout the show. The band then went into two of their biggest hits, “Girl’s Not Grey” and “Love Like Winter”, and soon enough, the crowd was bursting with excitement as fans already started crowdsurfing. 


Despite being around for over three decades, AFI’s palpable energy onstage is unmatched. Havok’s exceptional vocals captivated the crowd all while jumping, kicking, and swinging around his mic stand. Guitarist Jade Puget delivered thrilling riffs while bassist Hunter Burgan provided intense rhythms as he jumped and ran across the stage. Drummer Adam Carson brought the performance together with his thunderous beats. Needless to say, it was easy for the audience to become engaged within the performance. Early in the set, Havok even went up to the barricade to sing along with the fans, instantly creating a memorable moment that night. As the band performed a range of both new and old songs, the crowd continued to give it their all as they constantly moshed and crowdsurfed throughout the show. 


During the second half of the set, Havok actually went into the crowd for the fans to hold him up for one track, and continued to perform there until the end of the song. He even mentioned how impressive it was that the fans managed to hold him up for so long, saying that it was the first time that that happened on this tour. Towards the end of the set, Havok mentioned that they would be performing a song from their very first record. That song ended up being “Brownie Bottom Sundae” from their 1995 debut album Answer That and Stay Fashionable; this marked the first time the track was performed live since 2013. As soon as the band started playing the song, cheers boomed throughout the venue as the crowd’s energy exploded, with people instantly creating a massive circle pit for the fast-paced, punk track. The band ended with “Silver and Cold”, their massive 2003 hit from their breakthrough album Sing the Sorrow. During this song, the volume of the fans’ voices nearly rivaled Havok’s as they sang along to every lyric, and people continued to crowdsurf until the last note. Havok did a literal “mic drop” as he dropped his mic stand before walking off stage, which prompted the audience to chant for “one more song”. Soon enough, the band walked back on stage for the encore and performed 2009’s “Beautiful Thieves” and 2000’s “The Days of the Phoenix”. The fans made sure to end the night on a high note as they created one of the biggest mosh pits of the night while everyone else sang along and crowdsurfed. With such an impactful performance, AFI made sure that the Philly fans would leave with a memory that they would never forget. 



AFI: Website | Facebook | Instagram | X | YouTube

Related Posts

Ultraviolet Magazine

bottom of page