There’s a Glow at Sweet Pill’s Hometown Show in Philadelphia
- Kara Maddox
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
Emo rock band Sweet Pill have been quickly rising in popularity within the past few years, and have now set on their biggest headliner tour yet with the “Still There’s a Glow” Tour. Throughout the tour, which began on March 13, the band will be hitting major cities across North America until mid-April. The start of the tour also coincided with the release of their newest album, Still There’s a Glow, which is the band’s second full-length record. On March 19, Sweet Pill took over Union Transfer in the heart of Philadelphia, the band’s hometown. At the nearly sold-out show, the energy within the room never wavered for a second, making it a lasting memory for both the fans and the band.
Kicking off the show was hardcore band SPACED from Buffalo, NY. From the minute the band stepped on stage, the fans were ready to embrace the hardcore spirit to the fullest. Vocalist Lexi Reyngoudt’s powerful screams and her intense energy captivated the crowd, instantly inspiring mosh pits as she kicked and two-stepped across the stage. The crowd never stopped moving, moshing and two-stepping throughout the set and even creating a circle pit at one point. The band performed several songs from their newest EP No Escape, full of classic hardcore tracks that will encourage anyone to get up and mosh. As the set came to a close, Lexi mentioned how strange it felt to be touring and promoting themselves in these difficult times, but left everyone with a final message: “Fuck Trump, fuck ICE, free Palestine”. For the final song, Lexi called up all the crowdsurfers, and the fans made sure to listen, ending their set with a bang. Even if it was their first time hearing of SPACED, the band certainly made many new fans that night.
The second and final opener to take the stage was Minneapolis-based alt-rock band Heart to Gold. With a unique sound combining emo, 90s alt-rock, and punk, the crowd quickly became engaged with the music; one crowdsurfer even came through during the first song. Guitarist and vocalist Grant Whiteoak played melodic riffs while bassist Sidian Johnson helped raise the energy among the crowd as he headbanged and jumped around the stage. The band was taken aback by Philly’s energy as the crowd randomly started doing an Eagles chant in between songs, causing the band to join in and say “Go birds!”, which was met with cheers. There was also one huge Heart to Gold fan in the crowd, screaming in between songs, and Grant joked “I’m glad somebody likes us”. As the band closed their set, they reminded the crowd “Fuck ICE”, which had the entire room cheering in agreement. The fans continued to mosh until the very end of the set, fully energized and ready for the headlining act.
At around 9:30, the venue lights dimmed as signs on the stage saying “Still There’s a Glow” began to light up. Soon enough, Sweet Pill walked onto the stage as the room erupted with cheers. The band kicked off the set with the three opening tracks of their new album, “No Control”, “Sunblind”, and “Shameless”. Frontwoman Zayna Youssef’s fiery energy could persuade anyone to get up and dance, as she constantly headbanged, jumped, and kicked around the stage. Guitarists Jayce Williams and Sean McCall delivered intense riffs and intricate, math rock-inspired solos, which the band is widely known for. Bassist Ryan Cullen and drummer Chris Kearney rounded out the performance with upbeat rhythms, and it did not take long for the entire crowd to get moving.
Sweet Pill continued playing many new songs from Still There’s a Glow, as the fans continued to mosh and crowdsurf. They also engaged with the fans many times throughout the set, like having a “Sweet Pill Stretch Break” where Zayna instructed the crowd to stretch along with the band, recognizing that many fans in the room might be at the “ripe age of 30” like herself, or older. She also took a moment to tell cheesy jokes to the crowd, which the fans chanted for “one more joke” after she made a joke about married antennas having a “great connection”. During one song, Zayna also invited a fan to sing along with her on stage, a recurring tradition for the band. As the show continued, Zayna mentioned how damaging it can be to constantly hear all of the bad news happening in the world these days, but assured the crowd that a Sweet Pill show will always be a safe space no matter what.
Philly Sweet Pill fans made sure that the band had the most memorable hometown show possible. As the show progressed, the energy within the room only continued to grow. The mosh pit remained active during nearly every song, and at one point early in the set, a wall of death happened. The crowd only got crazier towards the end of the set, with multiple people crowdsurfing at once. After they played their 2022 hit “Cut”, the band walked off the stage as everyone chanted for “one more song”. Not long after, they returned to the stage and performed the fan-favorite “High Hopes”. Until the very last note, the fans never stood still for a moment, and the most crowdsurfers of the night started coming through. Sweet Pill’s hometown show surely was a night the fans and the band won’t forget.
