Magic Giant @ The Foundry – Philadelphia, PA 10/15/17

Home - Blog - Concert Photos - Magic Giant @ The Foundry – Philadelphia, PA 10/15/17

Bayside returned to Philly this past week for a two night stand celebrating their music both old and new. i99Radio was on the scene to capture night one of two. For the first night, Bayside brought songs from their early years, 2004 to 2008. For many of us, it takes us back instantly to the songs of our childhood, middle and high school years, and the audience spanning Gen X to Gen Alpha came ready to rock.

Long Island, NY’s The Sleeping started the night off and brought their unique blend of post-hardcore and raw energy to the stage that really got the audience going. People thrashed around and sang along, and even a toddler hopping up on his dad’s shoulders to get a better view of frontman Doug Robinson, who climbed up to the barrier, putting his microphone up to fans to sing along with them, and eventually even crowdsurfing above their heads at one point. The band has been experiencing a revival since their reunion in 2022 and their fantastic newest album, “I Feel Like I’m Becoming a Ghost”, dropping in 2023.

Bayside then took the stage, kicking off their set with the classic track, “Montauk”, from their second self-titled album. Frontman Anthony Ranieri commented how their idea for the “Errors Tour” came about when they wanted to play 44 songs in each city, instead of just 22. He talked about how the band has so many songs that fans love from all across their career, but not enough time to play them all, so they thought, “why not just play 2 nights in every city?”

The night of classic nostalgia continued on, with the band delivering high-energy versions of much loved tracks from their third album, 2007’s “The Walking Wounded”, like “Duality”, “I and I”, and the ballad “Landing Feet First” (of which started a massive audience singalong). The band also reached far back in their discography, playing tracks from their first years as a band, like “Masterpiece”, “Guardrail” and “Kellum”, off of the first album, 2004’s “Sirens and Condolences.” The audience was audibly excited by this, as these tracks are very rarely played live. The audience cheered loudly and unleashed a constant stream of crowd-surfers to the front of stage as they ripped through these classic tracks. The “newest” songs they played for night 1 were tracks from 2008’s classic album, “Shudder”, like “Boy”, “No One Understands” and “The Ghost of St. Valentine”. Again, many of these tracks haven’t been played since the Shudder Tour in 2008 so hearing these songs was certainly a treat for the audience.

Bayside’s show at Brooklyn Bowl was a testament to how the songs we grew up with are forever engrained in our DNA, the music grows with us and becomes a part of us as we grow older, but we never forget the songs that influenced us almost two decades ago. The 1,000 people in the audience who turned up to sing every word of these songs that are almost 20 years old now proves this to be true and Bayside to be a band close to so many people’s hearts.

Photos by Dave Avidan

Music is a medium. Emotions translate into melodies like a blackout-inducing power surge. Songwriters can transform great sadness into song and weave joy into a melody. Heartache and happiness leave their hearts and we absorb them into our souls. This past Sunday at the Foundry in Philadelphia, Magic Giant sent love. Their music hugged me and told me I was pretty. Never had a concert made me feel so loved – unless we include the time I made out with a random girl in the parking lot at a Grateful Dead show.  I don’t think that one counts.

As a grassroots movement, Magic Giant sends a clear message – a message of love, hope, and sustainability.  Nature is considered their fourth official member.  Recordings are done outside, using their solar-powered shuttle bus, on their way from show to show.  Hugs are offered to each audience member as they leave the show.  Their tour merchandise is made from re-purposed clothing.  Loyal fans follow the band from city to city standing outside handing out buttons and stickers.  Live shows are executed with a joyful exuberance that leaves you feeling that you just witnessed something special – On October 15th, 2017, I did.

Austin Bisnow realizing there “Ain’t no bottom to this hole.”

Back in mid-September, Magic Giant played a free show for Philadelphia’s Radio 104.5.  The band opened up for some of today’s more popular artists like Sir Sly, Biffy Clyro, New Politics, and Dirty Heads.  That Magic Giant stole the show was the verdict from friend after friend.  I wanted to find out for myself.  Expectations were high – which is never a good situation to be in.  New Coke didn’t live up to the hype, Zune couldn’t compete with iPods, and Suicide Squad was a bomb.  I was prepared to be underwhelmed.

The microphone stand decorations were right out of Steven Tyler’s playbook.  Replacing the multi-colored scarves were thin, floor-length strips of Guatemalan-printed fabrics in wild, brightly-colored prints.  Wooden boxes waited on the floor in front of the stage.  Cellos, violins, banjos, harmonicas, and bass drums sat among the traditional band instruments.  There was barely enough room on stage for the drummer to get behind the drum kit.  A very wide-eyed Fran ogled the stage as guitarist, Zang, approached, rocking a three-quarter length fur coat.  Throwing off the coat before the start of the set revealed a 70’s era marching band jacket.  Buckle up Fran, you are in over your head.

Zambricki Li, Master of All.

Magic Giant hit the stage like an explosion. Over the next eight-song set, band members jumped, danced, bounced off of each other, dove into the crowd, balanced on railings, and got on the floor with the audience.  I wasn’t sure where to look as the concert became larger than life around me. Multi-instrumentalist Zambricki Li played so dynamically and intensely that it was difficult to remove my eyes from him. His musical superpowers were acquired as a teen when he was hit by a car and was rendered comatose.  When he awoke, he was diagnosed with Acquired Savant Syndrome, enabling him to learn to play the violin in four days.  He played as if he might wake up one day and never be able to play again.

Austin, the lead singer, was feeding off the energy of the crowd.  We were his “Vitamin C,” as he put it.  The audience was in a mass frenzy, as if being purged of their sins, when Austin promised us if we could be silent, the band would play a song acoustically.  Only after silence fell upon Philadelphia in a way that predated settlement of the Americas did he oblige. They parted the floor and stood in the center of the crowd and played so sweetly that all one could do was smile. Zang played with every ounce of his body as the music flowed from his guitar.  Their sound was organic and fresh.  These days you can’t even say the word banjo without being typecast in the modern alternative music world.  Magic Giant’s music was a culmination of many different genres. Country fiddles, hip-hop beats, and singer-songwriter sensibilities created something meaningful and new. The right instrument for the right song fathered a unique sound that belonged solely to them.

Hey Zang, turn it on its side and it’s a bass. Cello!

The band left absolutely nothing on the table when it was time for them to leave the stage.  Instantly, chants for “One more song” bellowed from the floor.  The volume rivaled that of the band.  I couldn’t help but to chant, too.  I shook my head in disbelief.  Looking around, I made eye contact with every random stranger wondering if they just witnessed the same thing I had seen.  I-told-you-so looks came from friends that had already been converted.  This is a magical time in the band’s career.  Do yourself a favor and see them while you still have the opportunity in a small venue. When it’s over, just remember – I told you so.

Stream the debut album, In the Wind, by Magic Giant on Spotify and Apple Music or buy it here. See them on tour this fall in a city near you.

Date                Venue                                                   Location

Oct 17               The Underground                               Charlotte, NC

Oct 19               The Loft                                                Atlanta, GA

Oct 20              The Parish @ House of Blues           New Orleans, LA

Oct 21               House of Blues Bronze Peacock      Houston, TX

Oct 22               Antone’s                                               Austin, TX

Oct 23               The Lowbrow Palace                         El Paso, TX

Oct 25               Crescent Ballroom                             Phoenix, AZ

Oct 26               The Regent                                          Los Angeles, CA

Nov 03              Live in the Vineyard                          Napa, CA

Nov 14              The Center for the Arts                     Grass Valley, CA

Nov 15              The Catalyst                                         Santa Cruz, CA

Nov 18              Folk ‘N’ Fruit Fest                              Safety Harbor, FL

Dec 02              97X Next Big Thing                           Tampa, FL

2
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x