written by Maria Arroyo
This past Friday, June’s Landing and The Great Enough opened for the rock/indie outfit, Brother Starling, who just released their latest album, The Weight of Change.
We ran into The Great Enough at Philly’s very own Orlieb’s where they opened for PHNTMS! We chatted and they told us about their upcoming show at MilkBoy. I immediately jumped at the chance to see them again. Their stage presence and the way they captivated that room was memorizing. I knew it would make for an incredible show.
Prior to the show, I had the most unique time interviewing the band in the esteemed area of MilkBoy’s very own bathroom. Although completely out of the ordinary, it made for the best time! I got to see them truly transform into this incredible group of musicians that would truly steal the show.
The first band up was New Jersey’s own June’s Landing. You could tell they had a devoted fan-base that followed them to MilkBoy for the show. Throughout their set, they flaunt everything from funk, alternative, indie, and even reggae to tie together this very interesting sound. The band also performed some new songs for us; to have a sneak peek into some of their upcoming material was a nice experience.
The lead singer had a great vocal range that raised the bar that he constantly hit every time. While I loved their music and his vocals, the stage presence didn’t match the music. I expected some more laughs and smiles and overall a higher amount of energy for their music, but it didn’t happen. Sometimes there were a few hiccups, as there are for all shows, but the singer showed it extensively all over his face which only made us notice it more. Their fans really helped to pull them out of that funk but it is definitely something I hope they keep in mind for future shows.
Next to take the stage was the eclectic Philly band, The Great Enough. This band truly has become one of my favorites to listen to. Lead singer, Bright Kelly, continues to astonish me with his wide vocal ability and adaption to his surroundings. All of the band members communicated with each other and let each other shine in the spotlight. Their extensive knowledge of music theory and how to incorporate that into music is evident in their songs. I learned that almost all of them are currently teaching music, but all of them have had music as a massive part of their lives.
My favorite moment of the entire show came from their stripped-down performance where Bright stood at the edge of the stage and truly sang from his heart. It felt like he was individually singing this song to every person in the room. They left everything they had on that stage and left me utterly and completely speechless.
They are able to create such a smooth and unique sound that is edgy and catchy. They ranged from genres of soft and alternative rock, to contemporary and even some metal as well. As their set went on, the room became fuller and the applause only got louder. They managed to keep me captivated from beginning to end and I tip my hat to them. They even shared their new single “Never Run Away” that will be coming out February 14th so please be sure to keep an eye out for it!
Closing out the show is rock and Americana inspired band, Brother Starling, for their new album release! Originally from Philadelphia, the crowd was no stranger to their music as people filled every square inch of that room. They had so many elements going on throughout the show, but it never felt overdone. They had an incredible sense of how important a strong song structure is and they worked well to balance their sound out between all of them. They ended up playing their new album from beginning to end. Then, ending the show with some classics of their earlier music.
Their music is all technically brilliant and their melodies and relatable lyrics were so catchy. They all had solid stage presence that matched their music and the harmonies between them were all was amazing! I truly believe they were completely submerged in their music and they believed in the performance they were giving us. The crowd was so supportive and interacted with the band through their show banter as well.
Their album as a whole is a mix of different emotions and influences that are strung together to create one cohesive end product. Their album release show stuck with the crowd and me and the overall show was one for the books!
