Written and photographed by : Liv Foltiny
As a music journalist and/or photographer, you don’t always know how your day is going to unfold. You may have a note somewhere or a space blocked out on your calendar, reminding you there’s a chance you’ll be covering a show on a certain day. While there are plenty of times, you’ll receive your credential confirmations and information well in advance, there are instances where you may not know until the day, or even the night, of the event. This happened to be the case this past Tuesday — when I was given the final approval to cover
IDKHOW’s show with Benches at the Brooklyn Bowl in Philadelphia, Pa that night.
Arriving at the venue just after 8 pm, I went up stairs and was greeted by a huge crowd, which undoubtedly reaffirmed the online notices of the show being sold out. However, I wasn’t aware that the show had started later than the listed time, so I worked my way through the mass of people as quickly as I could, unsure of whether I would be able to see, let alone photograph, the opening band, Benches. Fortunately, I was able to do both.
Up on the stage, Benches filled the venue with rock music that ranged from melancholic to slightly upbeat. People bobbed their heads along to each song, attentive to the young band whose lead vocalist, Anson Kelley, put me into one of those “it’s on the tip of my tongue ”mindsets. He reminded me a little of another singer, but, at the moment, I couldn’t think of whom. I expressed this thought to one of the security staff members, and he knew exactly what I meant. It wasn’t until a few days after the show that I haphazardly realized that the artist I couldn’t put a name on was Matt Bellamy, the lead vocalist of Muse.
Despite not being the headliner, Benches made sure they put their mark on the night. They not only captured the crowd’s attention but also demonstrated their perseverance as they quickly handled and continued to perform through various technical issues (e.g. – mics cutting out) until they finished their set.
Following Benches’ performance, there was a brief intermission; the stage was bathed in blue light while the stage crew moved things around and added flowers. Venue staff passed out cups of water to people who needed it and made sure everyone was alright. With that, it was about 9pm when the stage was set, and the crowd was greeted by the night’s headliner — iDKHOW.
Surrounded by enthusiastic, cheering fans, Dallon Weekes and his band took to the stage and opened with “SPKOTHDVL”, the fifth track on iDKHOW’s latest album, Gloom Division. With the crowd singing and dancing along, the band continued playing through their set but stopped a few songs in so that Weekes could speak with the audience directly. In what would be just one of several heartfelt moments, Dallon shared how he wasn’t able to sleep the night before because he was “too excited” knowing that his wife and children were flying in to be at the show. Of course, this resulted in a chorus of “awes, which I unashamedly contributed to. Hilariously, he responded, “Don’t ‘aw’ me. Don’t you patronize me, Philadelphia.” Then, showing the front and back of his shirt (which had the text “66WNBC” and “Cousin Brucie 66” respectively), he stated, “I’m patronizing you. Is this a Philadelphia thing? The person who sold it to me said that it was, and, as we all know, Philadelphians don’t lie.” After making this comment, Dallon effortlessly segued into the next song, “DOWNSIDE”, by telling everyone that he couldn’t lie and that the song “is a lot of fun”.
Throughout their entire performance, iDKHOW’s fantastic stage presence was on full display. From strutting across the stage to moving in tandem with the rhythm of the music, the entire band commanded the audience’s attention. However, it’s safe to say that Dallon was the driving force behind this. Regardless of whether he was staying in a particular area or dancing across the stage, he was always moving, and each movement drew everyone’s focus. Using hand gestures, like mimicking horns and pretending to pull a rope during “INFATUATION”, Dallon emphasized certain lines by turning himself into a canvas that represented his words visually. Between this, his occasional anecdotes, sharing the mic with the crowd, and, at one point, going into and singing from the GA area, Dallon undeniably connected with his fans on another level. From their EPs and singles to RAZZMATAZZ and GLOOM DIVISION, iDKHOW’s setlist covered a little bit of everything in terms of discography. Combining that with their wonderful performance and heartfelt moments (e.g. – Dallon being excited about seeing his family), iDKHOW provided
Philadelphia with a look at the sunny side through the creation of shared memories and the evocation of genuine human connection
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